Jamie
by Barnbandit
Summary: Mokuba's on the run from bullies and ducks into a shop to hide. Inside he finds a dog with a taste for books, and a woman with no clue how to run a business. Can he help? More importantly, what's his brother going to do once he finds out where he's been going after school? SK/OC Rated M for cursing and later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey I'm back with a new story. This is SK/OC, if that's not what you would like you're welcome to move along, no worries. For the rest of you, enjoy the story and if you find any huge errors please let me know. I'm going to try and clean up my uploads. Thanks! -BB**

 **I don't own yugioh.**

The warm breeze drifted in through the open door, fluttering the pages of the book on the counter before they settled. It was a warm spring day, like any other. The scruffy looking mutt by my side sighed and groaned, flopping onto his side to doze off once more. Long, curly black was pinned up in chopsticks with a few strands hanging lose. I had my head propped over my book, dark brown eyes scanned each line from behind square rimmed glasses. A faded band shirt sat over ripped jeans, open to show black tights below. A thick boot was propped on the rung of the barstool I sat on behind the register.

The shop behind me was quaint, small, but holding the pieces of it's trade. Floor to ceiling bookshelves lined each wall, packed with books of all kind. The only exception being where a set of stairs went up to a loft area that held a kitchenette and a set of table and chairs. The smell of coffee drifted from the loft, showing what was up there. Towards the back of the shop sat a well loved couch and set of chairs, with a table in the center. A speaker sat next to the register, with an iPhone docked in it's base, playing American indie music. The dog by my side suddenly sat up, his ears perked. Shouting came from down the street before the sounds of heavy footsteps. My eyes never left the page I was on as one of them came bolting into the shop. Quickly two others moved to follow, and the dog growled. "Hey, where'd he go? Hey, did you see a kid run in here? Black hair?" "No." "I swear I saw him come in here..." Muttered one of them. They both wore a blue uniform, showing they went to the school nearby. "Nope. Apollo?" The dog just growled and stood, showing his full height. The boys backed up and left the shop, taking their search back out into the street.

Flicking to the next page, I waited until the dog settled once more before speaking. "You okay kid?" I heard a shuffling before a quiet reply came out from behind one of the shelves. "Yea... thanks." "No problem." I looked up for the first time to get a look at the teenager. He was about the same height as me, with thick unruly black hair tucked back into a low pony tail, a shy smile on his face. "I'm Mokuba." "James." His face showed confusion and I smirked a bit as I looked back to my book. "It's an odd name, I know. That's Apollo." The teen smiled at the scruffy dog who was wagging his tail at the new comer. "Hey boy. Thanks for the save." The dog gave a happy huff as the boy scratched his half floppy ears. Looking around he made a face of awe.

"I didn't even know this place was here." "Lot of people don't." I said with a snort, turning the page once more. "You sell used books?" "Old books, new books, pretty much whatever I can get my hands on for the most part." "Anything good?" "Well I guess that would be your interpretation of good." I gave a tiny chuckle as I sipped a bit of coffee from the mug on the counter. "Well... I love to read... got anything you'd recommend?" "Apollo's better at picking out books then I am." I said as I looked over. "The dog?" "What kind of books do you like?" "I don't know... fantasy? Harry Potter, stuff like that..." "Apollo, find him a book." The dog perked his ears and trotted off, coming back a moment later with a medium sized paperback between his teeth. "It's hit and miss sometimes, but he usually gets me pretty good." I commented, looking back to my pages. Scanning the back cover, the boy grinned down at the dog. "This looks cool! Thanks!" The dog gave a happy groan and sank back down to the hardwood floor. "I'll get it." Said the boy. "Take it." I commented, changing pages once more. "Bring it back and tell me how you liked it." "Really?" "Sure." "What if I don't come back?" "Then you obviously didn't like it." I peeked up and gave him a tiny smile. "I mean it, come back after your done." "Wow... alright!" He gave a wide smile of promise. "I'll see you next week!" Said the boy, tucking the book under one arm and waving with the other. "It was nice meeting you!" "Yep..." I looked to the dog after he left. "One less book I gotta dust off anyway."

I made majority of my money for the week on the weekends, people would come in and huddle around the tables and make their choices. Mondays I got my truck, but the rest of the week was usually hit and miss. Wednesday I once more saw the dark haired boy duck into my shop, this time the boys would run right passed. "Hey kid." I commented, a new book before me. "Hey... James right?" He was a bit out of breath from running, but looked okay. "Yea..." I raised a brow. "Those kids still giving you trouble?" He just shrugged and pulled his bag off. "I finished that book. It was _great_. I couldn't put it down." "I love those kind." I said fondly, looking at the pages before me. "It was awesome. Where would you like me to put it?" "Oh..." I sat back and made a face. "I don't know... Apollo, where'd you get that?" I asked, looking back to the store.

The dog sighed and got up, sitting at the boy's feet patiently. "Would you mind getting me another?" Asked the boy, drawing a snort from the dog as he trotted back towards a corner. The animal returned a moment later with a dark green hardback in his mouth. "What's this? A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle..." "That's a good one." I encouraged. "It's got this weird mix of Sci-Fi and fantasy. It's almost like The Chronicles of Narnia with time travel." I said, giving a look of thought. "Really? Cool, I'll give it a shot. Thanks." Said the boy to the dog, giving him a scratch. "What do I owe you for this one?" "Don't worry about it, I wanna know if you like it." "You _sure_?" I nodded. "Alright... I'll see you around James! Bye Apollo!" The boy jogged out and I gave a tiny smile as I watched him go. He seemed nice.

 **Let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is appreciated, flames are rude and will be used for my amusement.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry, I didn't realize the first chapter was so short, here's another. R &R! Thanks! BB**

 **I don't own yugioh**

It would actually be Tuesday when I'd see the boy next. Apollo sat up out of a dead sleep to glare at the open door. The sound of a scuffle would have him up and out before I could stop him. "Apollo!" I got up and headed out the door, following the sound of the dog's barking. One boy had Mokuba by the collar, his fist raised in a clear threat to the black haired teen. The other was cursing, and kicking at the large dog barking at his feet. "Hey! What are you doing?" I snapped, frown in place. The boy dancing with Apollo lost his footing, and fell back. With a hard lunge, the dog scared him off, leaving only the aggressor. "Hey! Lady, call your dog off!" Growled the teen, giving a shove at the shaggy haired dog. "Sorry, he doesn't like bullies." I said, making no move to interrupt the dog. Releasing Mokuba, the teen gave a shout as the dog caught the backside of his pants. "Sick'um Apollo." I commented with a smirk. A loud rip would mark the boy's departure, his cheeks exposed to the wind.

Leaning a hand down to help the remaining boy off the ground, I brushed off his jacket. "You okay?" "I think so..." He winced as he touched his face and pushed his hair back to get a look. "Yea, you're gonna have a nice shiner to take home... come on, I think I've got something that'll help. Apollo!" The dog looked up from where he was shredding the fabric stolen from the bully. "Leave it, let's go." With a happy grin the dog dropped the scraps and followed us into the shop. Popping the door closed with the ring of the bells above it, I flipped the sign. "Upstairs, c'mon." I urged the boy up the flight of steps and to the table and chairs.

"Have a seat." Getting into the fridge, I pulled out a soft ice pack, wrapping it in one of the towels hanging on a hook nearby. The kitchenette was clean, but it's obvious it wasn't used for just the coffee that sat in the canisters on the long counter top. "Here. Put that on." Giving a hiss, he pressed the pack to his face. Pouring a bit of hot water in a mug from one of the cabinets, I dropped a tea bag in it and set it down before him. "What did those boys want?" I asked quietly as I made a cup of coffee for myself. The teen shrugged and I didn't feel like it was my place to pry. "How'd you like the book?" I asked, changing the subject. He gave an apologetic wince. "I haven't finished." I chuckled. "Hard read?" "No, I've just been busy. Exams coming up, can't find the time." I paused a minute, giving a look of thought. "Think I might have something for that..." I went to the edge of the kitchenette and turned up a set of stairs that continued on to the last level of the shop, my boots echoing on the wood below. I dug around a bit in my personal bookshelf before I returned a moment later, a CD case in hand.

"Try this... It's an audio book of it, read by the author." I set the case down and he picked it up to look it over. "It breaks it up and makes it a bit more hands free." "Wow, yea, I might be able to swing this. How much?" "That is actually my personal copy, but you can borrow it." I said with a smile as I sat down. "Just bring it back with the book." A ringing from the boy's pocket would have him leaning to fish it out. A shiny iPhone was finally revealed, with a gray case on the back with the letters KC in blue over it. "Hello?... Hey nii-san. No, I'm okay, just running a little late. Well I..." The sound of a clipped tone through the phone would have my brows raised. "No... well, yea, I did run into them again... I'm okay I swear, you don't have too-" The tone interrupted him. "I'm not that far from the office, just around the corner actually... There's a bookstore... What's the name?" It took me a second to realize he was speaking to me. "Wizard's Asylum." His brows lifted and I gave a tiny smirk as I leaned my head on my hand and took a sip from my mug. "I.. You don't have too, I'll be okay- Okay..." He brought the phone down and pressed his thumb to the screen to hang up with a sigh. "Protective brother?" I asked with a tiny smile. "Just a bit... It's not his fault though." "Just means he cares. You should be thankful, brother's a good to have around." He gave a small smile. "You're right... I'm pretty fortunate." Rearranging the ice pack he looked back to me. "So... what are _you_ reading?"

The bell over the door chimed, drawing a bark from where Apollo sat at the top of the stairs. "We're closed." I called, looking over the banister to see a tall brunet man standing just inside the door. "That's my brother." Said Mokuba, leaving the ice pack behind and heading down the stairs. Following him down, I watched the taller man express concern over the teen. "Jesus, look at you. Are you okay?" The man's brows pinned as he caught sight of the darkened eye. "Just a shiner, he'll live." I commented as I moved back to my seat behind the register.

"And you are?" My brows lifted at the chilly tone but Mokuba responded. "That's James... she chased them off. Well, her and Apollo." The dog's nails clicked on the wood as he loped over to the boy, a book between his teeth. Mokuba gave a grin. "Not this week, next time, I promise." I had to smile at the downtrodden look on the dog's face. "Did you grab that audiobook?" The boy blinked. "Oh! No, I forgot it upstairs. I'll be right back." The teen turned to jog back up the stairs and the dog looked to the man remaining to take the book. "I suppose I should thank you..." Said the man, almost reluctantly. "I suppose you should." He raised his brow but my attention had turned to the book still open on the counter, trying to find my place. "Alright, I got it! Thanks again James." "No problem." I commented. "Next week Apollo, I _promise._ Hold it for me." The dog gave a muffled woof, his tail wagging once more. "Have a good day..." I said as they walked out.

 **Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I have a nice head start on this story, so I'll be uploading as much as I'm able, so be sure to follow so you get updates. If you want a complete story, check out my story** **Milo** **available on my profile.  
**

 **Please review and tell me what you think! BB**

 **I don't own Yugioh**

The next week, it would be raining, from Sunday well into the week. As a result, my truck had been delayed. It wasn't a big deal, I wasn't very busy. Stacking by price, I used a price gun to mark each of the books before putting them aside to be put up later. When the bell over the door rang, I looked up, giving a smile at the black haired teen, dripping a bit from the rain. "Well hey." "Hey!" He gave a smile. "I have your book, you were right, that was a good one!" I chucked and popped the gun on the books and moved them so I could move to the next stack. "That audio book help?" "It did! I liked listening before bed." "See, I like listening when I'm traveling, keeps my mind busy." I replied. "I can see how that would work." He dug into his bag and pulled out the book and CD, setting them beside the register. "What are you doing?" He asked curiously. "My truck got delayed by the rain, so I'm just getting these put up." I said, finishing another stack quickly. "You need a hand?" My brows lifted and I looked up. "You don't have to do that, Apollo's plenty of help." The dog was running books to the shelves, one by one. The teen grinned. "Well I don't have anything better to do. Seto's in meetings all afternoon." "Well... alright, if you're sure." I offered the gun to him and explained the prices and what stack was how much. "Seems easy enough."

With a few hours work we would get through a majority of the stacks, something that normally took me a few days for a truck that size. Leaving a few piles still in need of returning to their homes, I summoned the boy upstairs. "I think a little break is in order. What's your poison? I got coffee, tea, you name it." "I'll take some decaf if you got it." "I can in a few minutes, that doesn't sound half bad." I pulled the bowl from the brewer and dumped the old filter, putting a fresh one in and filling it with rich smelling grounds. As the coffee brewed, it filled the shop with the smell. "Love that smell, almost as much as a new book." I said with a smile as I sat down. "I don't know... I kind of like the smell of rain." Said the boy, eyes moving to the windows where the rain still fell. "Petrichor." His brows lifted. "That's the word. The smell of earth when it rains." "Really?" I nodded, giving a smile. "You learn that reading?" "No, I learned it in Doctor Who." The boy barked out in laughter and I couldn't help but chuckle with him as I got up to get our cups. "So, what, you're just a _huge_ nerd?" "Not a huge nerd, moderate... big. Okay, I'm a pretty big nerd." I said, pulling down the mugs and filling them. "But I kind of always have been. I like my books." I said as I set the cups down and brought over a tray with anything he might want to put in it.

The bell over the door rang and I looked over the railing. A tall man in a white trench coat was brushing the rain from his hair. As he looked up, I saw a pair of icy blue eyes and identified him as the teen's brother. "Hey stranger." Mokuba leaned over and smiled. "Hey Nii-san." "Where have you been? Roland called looking for you." "Here. I didn't have anything to do tonight, so I helped James out with a few things... You're not mad are you?" I saw the man deflate a bit. "No... but let's go." "Aw come on, we just made coffee. Can't I finish?" The elder brother didn't answer right away. "There's plenty up here if you'd like some for yourself." I offered, taking a sip from my mug. The man sighed but started for the stairs. Getting up, I pulled down another mug, different from the other two, obviously my collection had been pieced together. "I have decaf or I can make something stronger." "Whatever you have is fine." I poured him a mug and set it down by the available chair. Good lord, this man was all legs, which wasn't that surprising given his height. "Have you actually watched Doctor Who?" I asked the teen as I sat back down. "No." Replied Mokuba with a shake of his head. "It's pretty good. For the love of god, don't start from the very beginning, they started making it in the sixties, so the effects are _awful_." The boy gave a wide grin and I had to laugh. "BBC remade it in the 90's and it's _much_ better. Well, better then it was, once you get into decent effects. Anyway! I like it, it's about this Time Lord, who's an alien, and he goes around saving the earth in this blue box called a TARDIS protecting us from _bad_ aliens that want to destroy us and enslave the human race, right? Well every few seasons he gets a new image, a _life_ if you will, if the doctor dies, he is _regenerated_. Into this new doctor with a new face, new personality, it's so cool." Mokuba grinned. "Really like it, huh?" "Ohhhh my god! I fucking _love_ Doctor Who!" I moaned, rocking my head back and drawing a laugh from the teen. I leaned back forward and grinned. "I also might have the whole series upstairs, so if you ever got the urge to watch it, I would be _more_ then happy to help you with that. Not Classic Who though, you wanna tough through that, you're on your own." The sound of the dog's nails clicking on the stairs had me looking over.

Apollo stood at the top of the stairs, the book from the week before in his mouth and an almost shy look on his face. "Aww, Apollo got your book, c'mon." I summoned the dog and he handed it to me with a happy wag of his tail. "What is it?" Asked Mokuba as I passed it over. "The Golden Compass." I replied. "Cool! I saw the movie, I never read it." "The book is good. I liked the movie, but the book's always better when it comes to stuff like that." The teen showed his brother. "Apollo picks my books for me." The blue eyed man raised a brow. "You let a dog pick your books for you?" "Hey, the last few he picked out were great! Try it, tell him what you like." A snort left the man before he leaned forward and looked at the dog. "Alright... Bring me a book on international business and trade." The dog cocked his head before turning and jogging down the stairs. I watched him bounce from one side of the store to another, nose down almost like he was sniffing out the text he was after. Nosing one of the piles, the dog shoved it over, scattering the books as he looked through them. "Hey, come on, I just stacked those." I muttered. Finding the one he wanted, the dog ran back up, head high as he approached the brunet. Taking it, the blue eyed man scanned the cover before flipping it over to read the back. The cover was fairly simple, but I had to grin as I read the title. "Funding International Trade, good lord he found one! Good job boy." I said as I scratched the dog's ears. "I want this." He looked at his brother who grinned. "I told you." I giggled as I stood, reaching into one of the cabinets and pulling out a box of treats and tossing one to the mutt. "Alright Seto, I'm done, we can go." Said the teen, draining his mug. "What do we owe you James?" Asked Mokuba, putting his uniform jacket back on. "Don't worry about it, I'll see you next week." I said as I brushed my hair out of my face, moving to drain the canister holding the decaf into the sink. "One of these times you'll have to let me pay you." Said the teen, tapping his brother who was already leafing through his book. "Eh, you helped me today, so we'll call it even." I flashed a smile. "Flip the sign on your way out?" "No problem. C'mon Seto." Finally the elder brother stood, giving me a nod. "Thank you." I returned the gesture. "You are quite welcome." So he _did_ have manners. Good to know.

I would be surprised to see the blue eyed man, alone, the next day around noon. The rain had lightened up, but it was still a hazy gray outside, too cold to leave the door open. As he stepped inside, he found me curled up on my barstool, an enamored look on my face as my eyes ran over the pages. His brows pinned as I held up a finger. I _had_ to finish. As I flicked over the last page, I read the paragraph. "Noooo!" I whined as I popped the book shut. "There's a sequel." He snorted and reached into his jacket and pulled out the book from the night before. "Mokuba told me I was to return this." "You finished this already?" I asked, picking it up and flicking through it. It was boring, and filled with technical terms.

"It wasn't that bad." "That bad? There's not an interesting word in here..." I muttered with a face. "Do you have more, or..." I blinked and looked up. "Yea, yea, c'mon." I stood and moved into one of the corners. "Most of our Business books are here... I think. Could be over there." I pointed to another nook. "You don't know?" "Not anymore. I mean Apollo just kind of keeps track of everything." I said with a chuckle as I scanned the titles. "I'll help you... are you looking for the same author?" "If you have it..." I couldn't help but notice the almost snide tone. "I thought I saw another by him around here..." "You don't have a digital catalog, or inventory...?" "No." I stretched and pulled down one I thought had the name I was looking for. "How do you keep track of everything?" "I don't." His brows pinned and I know he was staring at me. " _What_?" I asked, looking over the book I'd gotten, feeling a bit irritated. "This place isn't going to last much longer like that." "Are _you_ going to inventory my store?" I asked back, getting a bit frustrated. When he didn't answer, I snorted. "That's what I thought, shut up." I pressed the paperback in my hands to his chest. "There's your book. Have a nice day." I moved back towards the front and took my book off the counter and moved to return it.

"What do you think Apollo? Do I want another Fantasy or should I go with Mystery this time? Love me some plot twists." I commented. The dog jumped up on his back legs and nosed down a thick paperback, dropping it to the floor before picking it up and trotting over. "Horror? You know what? Sure. Happy endings are overrated anyway." I heard the bell over the door ring as the man left, but as I returned to the counter, I saw a large bill sitting on the counter. More then enough to cover the book he'd taken. Looking at the bill, I smirked and slipped it into the register. I earned that.

 **Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys. I'm trying to keep natural breaks, but still give you guys a good solid chapter, so bear with me if it seems a bit sporadic, it's kind of how I wrote it lol. Anyway if you like the story, or see any huge errors, please let me know.**

 **Thanks! BB**

 **I don't own Yugioh**

 **PS- Politics and religion are spoken a bit about in this chapter, (Kinda how I'm dealing) So if you don't share them I apologize, but they're my personal views.**

"Hey James!" I blinked as I looked over to where I heard my name called, a small smile curling my lips as I spotted the teen. "Mokuba, hey." The clouds had cleared over the last week, leaving a bright and sunny day. "What are you doing here?" Asked the boy as he jogged over. "Apollo and I are heading to the dog park. Care to join us?" "I better not, I'm supposed to meet Seto at the office." "You guys work around here?" I asked, looking around at the different vendors that lined the street, I didn't see any that would pass for an 'Office'. "Yea." The boy pointed to the large tower sitting just down the street and I raised a brow. "You guys work for Kaiba Corp?" "No!" I looked over confused, only to receive a grin. "We own it." I felt my face drop. "Oh... You're _those_ brothers..." I stared at the tall tower in shock. How did I miss that? "Nice, right? We're hoping to put one in Tokyo." "That's... well, that's something." I snorted. "Well then, I won't keep you. We'll be here a while if you change your mind." I said, indicating the park. "Don't hold your breath, these stuffed shirts love hearing themselves talk." Grumbled the boy. I couldn't help but spare the boy a smile. "Tough through it, in the end it's usually worth it." I gave a wave as I turned to go. "I'll see you later!" I called back.

When I returned to the shop that night, I was greeted by a man waiting by my locked door. He wore a cheap red suit that didn't fit his lean form correctly, his black hair was combed back away from his face, with a pony tail hanging from the back of his neck. Sharp yellow eyes watched me approach with a casual smirk. "Can I help you?" I asked, tone chilly as I pulled out my keys. The sun was setting, but there was enough light to see the busy street around us. "We haven't formally met, I'm Jensu. The landlord." "Pleasure." I grunted, shoving the key in the lock and unlocking the door. "It is, I'm sure... I just wanted to come by and _formally_ introduce myself. Your aunt was a long time tenant." "Right." I replied. This man sent a shiver of distrust down my spine. Even though the door was open, I made no move to go inside. "I've come to... give an offer." He stood straight and tugged on his lapels. "I've noticed that your payments have um... become sporadic. Ran a bit late last month." Scolded the man. "Well... transition is hard. Just trying to sort out the paperwork. Rest assured, you will get your rent." I said, giving a tug of warning to the tense dog at my side as a rumble left him. "Of course, I don't doubt it. However... I had an arrangement with your aunt I thought I would extend to you..." He took a few steps in and I felt my muscles tense as he loomed in my personal space. "I would give your aunt a discount in rent in return for certain... liberties." I felt a wave of nausea as one of his hands came up and brushed a bang away from my face. "I was wondering if we could work out the same agreement." Swallowing the bile in my throat, I unclenched my teeth. "As... generous... as your offer is, I think I will... respectfully decline." I said, voice dripping with ice. Instead of being deterred by my rejection, the man smirked and took a step back. "Your choice... the offer's open." He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to go. "I'll see you on the first!" I waited until he was around the corner before giving an actual shiver of disgust. Filthy vermin.

The next week I was surprised to be graced with both brothers. The younger still wore his uniform, but the elder brother wore an outfit different then the suits I'd grown accustom to seeing him in. Today he wore a simple button down, pressed into a pair of pants that clung to his long legs like a second skin. Good _god_ with those legs. Not my fault, I had a thing for tall guys, and hands oddly enough. I liked guy hands. The way they looked in motion, or even still, I would catch myself staring at them. It certainly didn't hurt the man had one of the most gorgeous set of peepers I'd seen since I'd moved here six months ago, but _damn_ that personality. "Do you ever _actually_ work?" I raised a brow at the brunet's comment, eyes still trained on the newspaper before me. "I did once... I have a witness." I commented, pointing a lazy finger at the teen beside him, drawing a snicker. "No book this week James?" "I just finished around lunch." I said, leaning back and looking over. "I needed to recoup. Apollo picked out a horror story, and I gotta be honest with you, it was pretty rough." I flashed a grin as moved to stand. "You finish the Golden Compass?" "Yea... you don't have the sequel do you?" I shook my head with a shrug. "I might. You can look if you want, your brother found out how _awesome_ the sorting is in here last week when he came back for another by the same author." I moseyed up the stairs, intent for coffee. "It's a mess." Grunted the blue eyed man as he moved to follow. "Why don't you organize it then?" Asked Mokuba, jogging to catch up. "I got it this way, I just haven't talked myself into it." The boys seated themselves as I pulled down mugs from the cabinet. "How long have you had it?" "About six months, I got it when my Aunt passed away." I brought the two steaming mugs and gave a point of warning. "That's not decaf, if you want that I'll have to brew it." "It's fine." Spoke the brunet, taking a small sip.

"So where are you from?" Asked Mokuba. "'Merica! Can't you tell? Home of the not so free, Land of the not so brave, where beer flows like water and bald eagles punch you in the _face_ if you even _think_ about universal healthcare." I commented as I brought the tray over, my mug looped through my fingers. Seeing the blank look on the teen's face I snorted. "I'm from New York dude." I commented as I dropped down in the remaining seat, looking to the amused elder brother. "You're not wrong." He said with a smirk. "No I'm not, and I best be thanking my stars and bars I got out when I did too, it's a _mess_ over there right now." I shook my head. "Your President is a joke." "I _wish_ it was a joke, give me the punch line and be done with it." I crossed my legs and leaned back in my seat. "I took a lot of phone calls when those results came in, had to talk a _lot_ of people of a ledge or two." I took a sip from my mug and hummed. That was good stuff. "You don't _sound_ like you're from New York." Said Mokuba, giving me a raised brow. "Why? 'Cause I don't have dat New York accent?" I drawled, drawing his grin. "I moved there when I was 18, I was raised in Kansas." I pointed a firm finger his way. "No, there are no cowboys. No, Dorothy _wasn't_ real. And Yes, we _do_ get a lot of tornadoes, thank you." "So what _is_ there?" Asked the teen. "Nothing, lots of nothing." I flashed a grin as I ran my finger over the rim of my mug. "I grew up in the biggest city in the State, so honestly, it's not that different than here. Yea, the people are different, but the principle is the same. Now New York, _that's_ a city. Always something going on there. My first job was dressing drag queens before their shows. $200 a _night_. Do you understand what kind of money that is to an 18 year old?" "Pretty good for slapping a wig on a man." Commented the brunet, taking a sip of his mug. "You're damn right it is." I said with a chuckle. "Before I left I'd was working some dead end job waiting tables. When I found out Vanessa passed away, I decided to move here." I looked at the dog who was lazily splayed on the cool wood floor a short distance away. "Apollo was her dog. Kinda came with the shop. And here we are." I gave a shrug. "Not too exciting really."

"I didn't care for this one as much as I did the other." Commented the blue eyed man as the boys pulled out their books to set on the table. "That's what you get for picking it yourself." I said with a grin before looking to the pup who was now sitting up, watching. "Would you like to get them something?" A string of thumps came as the dog's tail hit the floor. "Alright, go ahead." Getting up, the large dog stretched and yawned before jogging down the stairs. "I need a refill." I grunted as I stood and headed for the canister. "No!" I whimpered as I found it empty. "I think I'm out of bags too. Damn..." I grumbled, rooting around in the drawers I kept my coffee in. "I get this stuff special from this guy downtown, and he let me try a new flavor he got in. I think I'm gonna have to order a box of it, I liked it." I commented more to myself then anything. "It tasted okay, what was it?" Asked Mokuba. "It's called something weird, hang on." I peeked in the trash and spotted one of the empty bags. "Colombian kick. I _like_ it. Tastes better then the regular stuff I've been getting. But I like mine dark, so that might be it." I said as I set a batch of house blend to brew. "It's better then the piss water at my office." Grunted the brunet. "Right? I don't like getting coffee anywhere else, I'm such a snob now." I said with a chuckle as I seated myself to wait. "Do you have more then just this?" Asked Mokuba. "I have everything from Hazelnut to this stuff called Brindle Batch. It's got like coconut and almond flavor to it. Almost like an Almond Joy. It's nice but I have to be in the mood for it. On the weekends I set it up downstairs and brew all sorts of flavors for the aeolist's that come in and loiter." "Aeo-whats?" Asked Mokuba with a confused face. "Aeolist. By definition A pompous person, pretending to have inspiration or spiritual insight... in layman's terms; a hipster." I flashed a grin. The sound of the dog's return would have me looking over to see his mouth crammed with two medium sized paperbacks between his teeth. "Apollo, would like some help?" He dropped them and snorted, picking one back up and jogging it over to the teen, who accepted it. "Princess Bride?" "That's another good one they made a movie out of. They did _really_ good job though, I was impressed." "I've never seen it." "I've got that upstairs too." I said with a smile. Returning for the waiting book, the dog brought it over to the older brother. "Ready Player One?" He flipped it over and I watched as curiosity coated his stare. "That doesn't look like a business book." Said Mokuba. "It's not... Nice try dog." "Now wait a minute, let me see." I held a hand out and he passed it over. Scanning the back, my brows lifted. "This looks good, are you into games? Its all about a kid finding Easter eggs." "Let me see." I passed it to Mokuba who scanned it over. "This _does_ look good. Why don't you try it Seto?" "What's the point? What do you get from it?" "Why do you have to get something from it? Why don't you try reading a book for the _enjoyment_ of it?" I asked, drawing his stare my way. "Just sayin'. I do it a lot. It's pretty fun." I got up and moved to refill our mugs.

The bell over the door would have my attention as I returned to the table. A woman had walked in, and I could tell from her uneasy position and her clothing she was American, probably midwestern if I had to guess. "Can I help you?" I asked as I moved to step down the stairs. "Yes! Actually." She looked to me and gave a patient smile. "I'm looking for a Bible. Whatever version you have is fine, ours was confiscated by the airport on our trip here, and I was bringing it for my daughter." "I'm sorry to hear that, but no, I don't." I returned her patient smile. "You're not going to look?" "No, I know I don't. I don't carry religious texts just as a rule." "That's ridiculous. What kind of book store doesn't carry a Bible?" "Well, I don't carry them for the simple fact that I don't believe in any of them, so, best not step on anyone's toes." A look of disgust came over her face. "It's the most sold book in the world-" "Actually ma'am, The Diary of Anne Frank recently passed the Bible in number of copies sold. Now, I _do_ have that, but it's not the work of fiction you're looking for. This one's based on a _real_ story." Her face turned an angry red and I raised my brow. "Something the matter?" "I find your lack of faith disturbing." "Your disregard for my personal life choice is what's disturbing. Ma'am what difference does my religion _make_ to you? If I told you I was a Muslim and prayed five times a day, what _difference_ would my practice make to _your_ life?" My brows lifted as I waited for her response. "Does my prayers stop you from loving Jesus Christ? Does the fact that I may not eat bacon or drink alcohol have _anything_ to do with you?" "Of course it does! It impacts my life like it impacts my country!" She growled. "How?" My sharp tone had her still. " _My_ life and _my_ choices have _nothing_ to do with _you_ as a person." I gave her a long look. "Ma'am I respect your choice to believe in God, but I think you need to realize that people won't always share your opinion. You'll find the book you're after down the street at the Barnes and Nobel. Until then..." I pressed my hands together and and tilted them her way. "Maʿ al-salāmah." Her face turned red once more before she turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. "Mature." I grunted, moving to turn back towards the stairs.

"Are you Muslim?" Asked Mokuba, drawing a sharp elbow from his brother. "No." I said as I sat back down. "My roommate in New York was. Petty laid back for the most part, but she wore a hajib, and every morning she'd read a passage from the Qur'an to me." I took a drink and curled my nose as I realized my cup had gone cold. "It's actually a _beautiful_ book, it's got some great poetry. I thought about converting, but I can't even remember to eat three times a day, let alone stop to pray." I made a face. "That and I mean come on... no booze and no pig? No thanks." "They don't like dogs either." Said Kaiba, looking to the mutt on the floor. "They don't?" as the younger brother. "No, they're considered 'dirty'. If they touch one they're supposed to wash their hands before they pray." I clarified as I got up. "You know a lot about a religion your country seems so keen on hating." Said the blue eyed man. "Seto..." Scolded Mokuba quietly. "It's alright... I know I do." I dumped my cup and rinsed it before refilling it. "Call me stubborn, but I just can't buy into the fear the US government seems to think we need to swallow." I returned back to my seat and sat down, meeting that bright stare. "If I'm going to be told to fear something, I think I deserve to know what it _is_ I'm afraid of." " _Are_ you scared?" That had my eyes down and looking to my mug. "I think... I'm scared for my country... and the people in it... The only thing I can really hope for is that love, and acceptance, will win over hate and fear... but anyway." I looked up once more, a smile back on my face. "I should be grateful, I have a good life here, I'm pretty fortunate. Japan's a beautiful country. It'll be spring soon and my Aunt used to tell me the Cherry Blossoms were pretty." "They are! The park you took Apollo too gets _really_ pretty when they bloom." Said Mokuba, picking up the change of subject.

 **Thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Another chapter for you! Please let me know what you think, and don't forget to favorite and follow as this is a work in progress. Thanks! BB**

 **I don't own yugioh**

"Excuse me?" I looked up and raised my brow at a small, short haired woman looking a bit nervous in front of the register. "Can I help you?" "Yes, Um... Kaiba-sama sent me? He asked me to return this?" She held out the copy of 'Ready Player One'. "Oh, okay, thanks." I took the book and a folded piece of paper fell out of the cover. Bending to pick it up, I unfolded it only to find the familiar kanji that made up the Japanese language. "Shit, I can't read that. Hang on. Hey Apollo!" The sound of the dog jumping off the cozy couch in the back showed where he'd been hiding the last few hours. "Can you find another book for Mokuba's brother? What's his name... Seto?" The dog let out a groan as he stretched.

Jogging up the stairs, I dug into a cabinet and pulled out a disposable cup and lid. Filling it, I returned downstairs just as the dog was offering the book to the woman, who seemed uncertain. "Here. Take this too." I offered, taking the note he'd sent and writing my own addition at the bottom. 'Dude I can't read that. Here's another book. James.' Folding it back up I tucked it in the book and offered it to her, along with the lidded cup. "Take that back for me?" "Um... okay, sure." "Thanks." I seated myself and flipped through the book, still uncertain if I wanted to read it. As the woman left, I studied the back cover, reread the synopsis before setting it aside to be my next read. If the older brother had finished it in a few days then maybe I should give it a shot.

"Hey Jamie." I felt a wave of revulsion run through my form as the greasy voice of my landlord ghosted over my ear as I placed a book back on the shelf. "That's not my name." I growled. "Sorry. I just thought it fit... short, cute. Kinda like you." A deep growl left Apollo from where he sat curled up by the register. "What do you want?" I asked, gripping the heavy book in my hands so tight my palms burned. "Just checking on you... Curious as to whether you thought over my offer." "I _declined_ your offer." "Right, but then your rent check bounced." I felt a wave of panic run down my spine. Shit. I heard him take a deep inhale. "I'm just looking out for you." "I'm sure." I moved to step away, but a skinny arm blocked my path, forcing me to face him if I wanted to get free. "You need to _remove_ yourself from my space before we have a problem." I hissed. "What? No problems." He took a step back and I felt my disdain for the man before me grow. "But... from now on, cash only. No more checks." He gave me what I supposed was his best attempt at charming. "That won't be an issue will it?" "No..." The bell over the door rang and I used it to dip away from the disgusting man. "Give me a week and you'll have your money." I grunted as I stepped away, thankful for the brothers that stood just inside the door. "I'll see you in a week." Purred the landlord, giving a smile to my guests before stepping out.

I gave a shiver and moved to set the book in my hand down on the counter. "God that man is vile." "Who was it?" Asked Mokuba eying the door the man had left through. "My landlord... piece of work that one." The dog let out a yacking sound from the floor and I snorted. "Seconded." Giving a deep sigh, I tried for a smile. "So what's new? You finish the Princess Bride?" I asked Mokuba, heading for the stairs. "I put it off to work on a new project with Seto." "Yea?" I peeked back to look at the brunet. "Anything cool?" "We're looking at a new game console." "Jumping into the console fight huh? Good luck, and I genuinely mean that, with everything there is out there you'll need to come out swinging if you want to stand out." "We know. And we are." Said Mokuba with a grin. "Good deal... Oh. I'm sorry, hang on." I moved to clear away the notebooks and ledgers I had scattered around the table. "I _actually_ working. Before that creep interrupted. Crap I need that book." I muttered, looking over the ledge to eye the thick text sitting on the counter. "Apollo? Can you go get it for me?" I whined at the dog who sighed and jogged back down. "I don't believe you. Pics or it didn't happen." Commented the blue eyed man dryly as he sat down, holding no shame as his large hand pulled one of the ledgers closer. "Hey. Nosy." His brow rose and a smirk curled his lips. "Can you even read this?" It was very clear when I had taken over the store, the numbers in the ledger going from symbols to my numbers. "Well I..." I looked away and a hint of a blush covered my nose.

"No. She had an accountant, but when she passed and he didn't get anything- I don't know, he took off, left this mess." I gestured to the pile before me. "I've been trying to sort it out, but..." I gave a clear look of frustration. The blue eyed man studied the book for a minute before the teen spoke up. "How's it look Seto?" "It's all over the place. No wonder you can't figure it out... Let me see that." He pointed to one of the notebooks and I passed it with a look of curiosity. "What are you doing?" He didn't answer, just pulled a pen from his front pocket and started scribbling things on a blank page. "Wait, no, you don't have to do that-" "It's okay." Mokuba gave me a smile. "He's really good at that kinda stuff." "You're gonna try and tell me you have _nothing_ better to do then balance my checkbook." I said, trying to appeal to the CEO once more. "I'm going to need..." The blue eyed man tapped my mug. "Some of that." I looked at the mess and sighed. "Alright, I'm not dumb enough to look a gift horse in the mouth."

The teen would spend his time with homework, while his brother looked over the shop's bills top to bottom. I _had_ a book I was supposed to be reading, but I hadn't gotten very far, I kept fidgeting and stealing glances at the blue eyed man. He'd removed his jacket, and loosened his tie, and his once pristine hair had drifted and had started to fall in his eyes. He was completely enamored with my paperwork, I could see the cogs in his head turning, putting the pieces together. That's when I saw them. His hands. They were clean and well cared for, which was nice, but it was their size. The fingers were long, and the palm wide, like they were made for exactly what he was using them for.

"James?" I looked over to see the black haired teen with a smirk on his face. Crap. Had I been staring? "Can you help me?" I shrugged. "I can try. What's up?" "I'm doing a crossword for English to further our vocabulary. What is; 'Characterized by or given to extreme optimism, especially in the face of unrelieved hardship or adversity.'?" "Optimist?" "No, this starts with a 'P'." "Protagonist?" "No, it's not long enough." "Oh! Panglossian." I spelled it and he gave a smile of victory. "That looks right! Alright I have another." "Throw it at me." "Okay, twelve letters, the definition is 'Liking legs'. Starts with-" "Crurophilous." I replied instantly. I spelled it for him and he gave another grin. "That's so cool! I didn't even have to give you anything on that one. You're like a walking dictionary." Said the teen with a giggle. "I used to _read_ the dictionary when I was a kid..." I said, getting up to refill the blue eyed man's cup and my own. "Really? That had to be boring." Said Mokuba, wrinkling his nose. "Actually... I thought it was kind of fun... Get to learn words you wouldn't know normally... Like Crurophilous and aeolist." I returned to the table and set the older brother's mug down. "Thank you." My brows flew up. He does speak. "You're welcome." The brunet leaned back and stretched a bit, straightening his back. "You finish nii-san?" "I think so... Come here." He dragged my chair closer and I sat down, leaning to look at the ledger. He'd rewritten the last year in neat numbers so I could easily read it. "Starting here, you start seeing small portions go missing... the math isn't right. I thought it was an accident, but here it is again, two months later, and here once you get towards the bottom of his numbers it's every month. This place was hemorrhaging money."

I was trying really hard to focus, what was _with_ me today? "Where did it go then?" "I don't know, it's not shown anywhere." Good _god_ what was that cologne? Focus! "My guess? Probably in the accountant's pocket, because once I get down here, to yours, it's fine, everything adds up the way it should. You're elbow deep in debt, but it's right." I groaned and sat back, running my hands up and under my glasses to rub my eyes. "This place just _eats_ money. I don't know if it's the digital age, or what, but I just can't seem to get people in here." I looked to Mokuba. "I mean, how long have you been taking that route to your office and you never _once_ saw this place?" The teen gave a sad smile. "So what can I do? Burn it and take the insurance money?" I asked, returning my gaze to the CEO. A deep rumble left the man as he took a drink from his mug. "Only if you can get away with it." "Well damn, I don't think I'm that clever. Looks like it's bankruptcy for me." I said with a snort, taking my glasses off to clean the lenses with my shirt. "I don't think we're quite there yet. You _are_ making money, enough to keep the rent paid and the lights on..." Another look of thought came over the brunet's face. "Let me think about it... until then, you can _start_ with organizing this place so you can _think_ about taking an inventory. Doing it now would be pointless. What good is knowing what you have if you can't find it?" He had a good point. I sighed and looked to Apollo. "You'll have to help me. You work weekends right?" The dog just groaned and flopped over, facing away from me.

 **Thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys. This one might be a little long, but I wanted to keep the scene together. If it gets to be too much, I might end up breaking it into two chapters, but I'll upload them at the same time so you won't miss anything. Thanks!**

 **I don't own yugioh**

I _would_ end up taking the blue eyed man's advice to heart, he might have the personality of a lizard, but if there was one thing he knew something about was business. I started at the back of the shop, using a large ladder to reach the very top of the tall shelves. I cleaned the shelves, dusted the books, and started sorting. It's where I would be found when the short haired woman from the week previous came in. "Hello?" She called out, looking uncertain. "Back here!" I called, standing and almost tripping over a pile of books I'd just alphabetized. "Hi... I um... I don't know if you remember me..." She said quietly. "Yea! Yea. I didn't catch your name." I said with a smile. "I'm Risa, Kaiba-Sama's assistant." "Risa? Nice to meet you, I'm James." I replied, offering a hand to her. "I um... Kaiba-Sama asked me to bring this to you." She offered a book in her hands and I took it, looking it over, smirking at the cover. 'Japanese for Dummies'. How _sweet_. Rolling my eyes a bit, I peeked inside. It was obviously new or very lightly used as the binding was brand new, but with it was another note, this one in English. 'Found your next book. SK.' What a brat! Snorting, I smiled a bit and tucked the book under my arm and moved to go upstairs. "Give me just a minute, I'll be right back. Feel free to look around, forgive the mess, I'm organizing." I commented.

Sitting the book on the table upstairs, I made a cup of coffee for the CEO, adding a cup of hot water after a moment of thought. The wind outside had a bit of a nip to it, and that girl had walked here. Putting tea in the water, I put the lid on both and wrote out a response on the back of his note. 'I prefer the term 'ignoramus'. Sounds classier. J.' I returned downstairs to see the woman patting Apollo's head, who held a book in his mouth. "That's probably for Seto... you can go ahead and take it." "Oh... thank you dog." She said with a tiny smile. "Here... this one's for you, I hope you like green tea." She gave me a look of surprise. "I love green tea. You don't have too-" "It's okay, it's kind of chilly out there. Go ahead, take it. I'll get you a bag for that book." Using a simple grocery bag I placed the book Apollo had given her inside, leaving her hands free to carry the cups. "Thank you so much." She said, bowing a bit as she took it back. "It's no problem, have a good day." "You too!" She left with a smile on her face and I couldn't help but give one back.

"I knew it wouldn't last long." I looked up from where I sat on my barstool, leaned over the book I'd been sent and smirked at the blue eyed man as he stepped inside. "I'm taking a break. I earned it." I looked at the door and raised my brow. "Where's Mokuba?" "He's on a school trip to Okinawa. He gave me this though." He reached into his suit and pulled out the book the teen had borrowed. "Oh, Okay. I'll just put it..." I looked around at the scattered piles and hummed before tossing it and shrugging. "I haven't done the fiction yet. But! Come here! Look!" I stood and summoned him towards the back. The shelves around the alcove holding the couch and chairs was clean, and neat. "I organized _all_ my non-fiction. I put History there, Science and Art there, Business there, and what religion books I did have there, turns out I _did_ have a Bible." I said with a snort. A chuckle left the man as he looked over my work. "Well it's not pictures but... I guess you _did_ do something this week." "Shut up, I worked hard." I looked over as Apollo jogged over, a book between his teeth. "What's this?" I pulled it from him and looked it over. "Where'd you find this? I put up all the books on Rome already." The dog gave me a prideful look and I had to laugh a bit. "Alright, Johnson... Howard..." I looked at the tall case and followed the books up until I found it. "There." I stretched on my toes and grunted when I couldn't quite reach it. "Dammit... Man of great height! I need your aid." I felt his warmth as he approached and leaned up, taking the book from my grip and placing it in it's proper spot. "Thank you! That must be nice, bet you can reach the top cabinets in the kitchen too." He snorted and I had to grin, trying to ignore how close we really were to one another. Damn, I had it bad didn't I?

The bell over the door had me reluctantly parting to greet whomever had walked in. I stopped short when I saw who was standing inside the door, hands in his pockets and a greasy smile on his face. A low growl came from Apollo and I reached a hand down to pet his head, feeling a bit of comfort when the dog sank into my thigh. "What do you want?" "Just stopping by. You have something for me." I was reluctant to approach after our last encounter, so I stayed where I was. "Your money's in an envelope in the register." His cheap shoes clicked on the hard wood as he stepped over and pressed the button to open my till, pulling out the white envelope holding his rent. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" He tucked the envelope inside his suit. "You can go now." I growled. "Not just yet..." He reached in once more and pulled out the money I'd made that afternoon. "Consider this a late fee." He slammed the register shut and I bit the inside of my lip so hard I tasted blood. Another deep growl left the dog at my side and the man paused as he tucked the money to join the envelope. "I never did like that dog." "Looks like the feeling's mutual." You could almost see the ice that dripped from the blue eyed man's words as he came to stand at my side. "You've done your business here. She's asked you to go."

Unfazed by my company, the landlord pressed his hands into his pockets once more and gave a cocky grin. "You're right. I'm done here..." He headed for the door and pressed it open with his hip, looking back once more. "I'll see you on the first." He gave a wink and blew a kiss as he stepped out. As the bells silenced I let a visible shiver run through. "Good lord, I feel like I need a shower. That man is such a creep." I grunted, giving a scratch to the dog to ease his tension. "He reminds me of every slumlord I had in New York." I moved to head up the stairs and heard the dog and man follow. "Does he do that often?" I shook my head as I moved to my canisters and pulled down a pair of mugs. "It just started, I guess I had a bad check... I don't know. Now he insists on cash." I sighed as I poured our mugs and brought them over. Setting them down I moved back to the cabinet and reached in to pull out a rolled up dog bone. "Apollo." The dog perked and sat at the sight of the treat and came to sit at my feet. "Would you like this?" The dog gave a snort. "Would you like peanut butter on it?" The canine groaned and sat back, tongue lolling out. "How do you ask?" He lifted his front half to sit up and brought it paws up, making a begging motion, his large brown eyes shining from under his eyebrows. "God, you're adorable." I pulled out a jar that had the dog's name clearly labeled on the front and dipped the bone into it before holding it out. Snatching it out of my hand the dog went to curl up beside the table and claim his prize. I put the jar away and got into the fridge to pull out a loaf of home made bread, a few slices already missing. Dropping it on the table I sat down.

"What's Mokuba doing in Okinawa?" "It's a camping trip to my understanding. End of the semester." "Really? We never did that. Then again everyone was kind of redneck and went camping on the weekends anyway." His brows pinned. "Redneck." "Um... okay, hick? You know what that is?" He nodded. "It's like that, but... urban. They like big trucks and guns and huntin'." I said, purposely putting a drawl to my tone so he'd get my meaning. "A bumpkin." "Kinda." I gave a grin. "I didn't fit in well with them... guess I was too big of a nerd." "Or you had a braincell of thought to you." I snorted. "Watch out that was _almost_ a compliment." He smirked and I was beginning to think that was as close as he came to smiling. "Did you grow up here? In Japan? You don't have an accent." He nodded, that bright stare turning to the windows at the front of the shop. "I learned English young, as a part of my studies for Kaiba Corp." "That's fortunate, looking back I kind of wish I'd learned another language growing up. I know a little Arabic, know how to ask for the bathroom in Spanish." I gave a small shrug. "They say it's easier to learn young." "It is, a bit." Said the man. "But I've learned languages as an adult. I learned Mandarin a few years ago when we put a branch in Hong Kong." "Some people have a knack for it though. There was a guy I knew in New York that could speak French, Spanish, and German." "That's not that impressive." Replied the man with a snort. "It's three languages _I_ don't know." "But they're all based off Latin. If you know Latin, you can actually get by in all of them." "Really? That's not nearly as impressive anymore. Maybe he was just saying that to get in my pants." There. Was that a smile? It was covered up quickly by a sip from his mug. "I don't doubt that in the slightest."

Okay, so maybe there _was_ a little bit more to the man then I originally thought. He was _insanely_ clever, quick with a quip or a smart remark. It was actually kind of fun to toss back handed compliments back and forth. As the sun dipped passed the windows to the shop, I looked over as the bell rang. A man came in with a dolly stacked with boxes, his hair dyed a bright green and brought to a sharp point. "Hey James! Delivery." "Hey Chun! That's my dealer." I said with a grin to the man at the table with me. "Right. Like you could afford drugs with what you pay me for this stuff." Said the man as he dragged the dolly up the stairway to where we stood. "I will _gladly_ shell out cash for good coffee. Gimme." I held my hands out for his clipboard. "Brought you a new one." He tore the tape off a box and dug around before pulling out a coffee filter that had been tied shut with a string. Tossing it to me, I untied it and made a hum of intrigue. "What is that?" I bowed my nose over the grounds and took a whiff. "What _is_ that? Is that _cinnamon_? Oh man, that smells amazing." Chun gave a wide grin. "Threw in a few bags for you to try." "Awesome. You bring me that Colombian stuff?" He tapped the bottom box with his boot. "Whole thing. Then regular and half hazelnut half decaf. Did you want more of that Brindle?" I shook my head, still sniffing the filter. "I still have a few bags. It was good but..." "Little much right?" I nodded. "I thought so too." He held a hand out for his clipboard and I passed it back. "Try that stuff out, I really liked it." "What's it called?" "Brew like an Egyptian." " _What_?" I barked out in laughter as the man pulled his dolly free. "Where do they come up with this stuff?" "I don't know man, I just sell it." He flashed a grin before giving a short wave. "I'll see you next week!" "Thanks Chun!" "No problem!" " _Smell_ this." I pressed the filter towards the man and he bent his head over the table. "That's..." "Different right? I can't figure out what else is in it." His brows lifted and his lips curled in a small smile. "Well there's one way to figure it out." "I like the way you think."

"Dude, it is so late." I said with a tiny giggle, having just checked my phone and finding it close to 3 AM. "Okay, so maybe we _shouldn't_ have tried it." I had to laugh at his comment, picking up the now empty plate that had once held the banana bread and putting it in the sink. "It was _so_ good though." I replied as I put our mugs in right after. "Not tonight dog." I looked back to see Apollo sitting at the man's feet, a book in his mouth. "I have proposals to look over, and if there's something _worth_ reading nearby, I won't finish them." I had to smile a bit. "Save it for him Apollo. Find something for Mokuba." The dog's ears perked and he turned and darted down the stairs. Heading down, I locked the register, protecting what meager change rested in the drawer. The dog would return, offering another book to the blue eyed man, who took it and placed it inside his jacket pocket. "Not even going to read the cover?" I asked with a tiny smile as I went through my keys looking for the one for the deadbolt. "My argument still stands." Walking with him to the door, I pulled it open for him. The night air was cool, but felt oddly refreshing as I leaned out, eyes scanning the street. "Do you need to call a cab or something? This neighborhood isn't that bad but I've never been out at night." I said, turning a concerned stare to the man. "I have my driver waiting at Kaiba Corp, it's not that far." "You sure?" He gave me a humored smirk. "I'll be fine." "Alright... Goodnight Seto." He paused, just for a moment before putting his hands in his pockets and turning towards the tower. "Goodnight James."

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	7. Chapter 7

**Next Chapter! I am still currently writing this story, but I think I have an ending in mind. Follow and Favorite to find out how it goes! Don't forget to review and tell me how you like it. BB**

 **I don't own yugioh**

"Hello James-san." I smiled at the mousy woman. She was cute, I couldn't help but like her. "Hi Risa... What are you doing here? Seto didn't borrow a book last week." "I think he would like too? He gave me this for you." She held out a folded note and I took it, scanning it over. 'Give me something decent to read, please. SK.' I could almost hear the sarcasm in the man's writing. "Apollo! Can you get that book you saved for Seto?" The dog lifted his head and sluggishly stood, trotting off to wherever it was he stashed his books. Using the book the blue eyed man had given me, I tried my hand at writing a response out in Kanji. The lines were shaky, but I think I got it right. A simple 'Wish granted.' Looking at it, I laughed a bit. It looked like a child had written it. Circling the symbols I drew an arrow and wrote another note in English. 'I suck at this. J.' Apollo came up to the woman wagging his tail, and she bent to get the book from his grip. "May I pet you? You are a very smart puppy dog." She cooed, scratching his ears. Jogging up, I made a cup of the coffee I had been secretly stashing away from the customers. I couldn't help it, I didn't feel like sharing, but I _guess_ I could share with the CEO. I sighed a bit as poured some hot water in for Risa. I really shouldn't be encouraging my little crush, I should be happy he's got the time to have coffee with me once in a while. Returning down, I handed the cups to her with the note. "You are very generous. Thank you." Said the woman, bowing a bit before taking them. "No problem, come back soon." "I will! Thank you!" I smiled as she stepped out. Apollo came up and whined at my feet, a book in his mouth. "Aww, did you pick one out for her? Don't worry, she'll be back." His ears perked. "Promise."

"Hope your trip goes well big brother." Said Mokuba, eyes on his phone as he took the familiar path to Wizard's Asylum. _"It shouldn't take that long. I'll be home soon Mokuba."_ "I know... I just hate it when you have to go." The dark haired teen pulled open the door and instantly his eyes grew large, a grin growing. _"What?"_ "You _have_ to see this." I stood on one of the chairs to the table, my boot propped on the banister, my laptop playing some sort of show, my voice ringing in sync with the man's coming from the device. "Hello Stonehenge! Who takes the Pandorica, takes the Universe! But, bad news everyone...'cause _guess who_! Ha!" I flashed a grin at the dog watching at my feet, my hands coming up as if talking to ships above. "Except, you lot, you're all whizzing about, it's really very distracting. Could you all just stay still a minute because _I. Am. TALKING._ " The shop rang silent except for the sound from the laptop. I quickly resumed. "Now, the question of the hour is, 'Who's got the Pandorica?' Answer: I do. Next question: 'Who's coming to take it from me?'" Once more the shop went quiet. "Come _on_! Look at me! No plan, no backup, no weapons worth a damn, oh, and something else I don't have: Anything. To. Lose! So! If you're sitting up there in your silly little space ships with all your silly, little, guns, and you've got any plans on taking the Pandorica _tonight_ , just remember who's standing in your way! Remember every _black day_ I ever stopped you, and then, _and then!_ Do the smart thing!" I smirked at the dog. "Let somebody else try first." The dog barked, turning in circles, a wide doggy grin on his face. A howl of laughter came from the doorway and I looked over to see the teen in almost hysterics. "Oh my god! What are you doing?" He cackled, hand coming to his ribs, the other desperately trying to hold his phone upright. "Please tell me you didn't see that." I muttered, leaning to pause the show. "I filmed it too!" He whimpered through his laughter. "Seto! Please tell me you saved it." "No!" I jumped down and went for the stairs. "That's not fair! It's my favorite speech! Come here you li'l shit!" The boy took off towards the back of the shop and tucked away. "Wait, time out. What's the wifi password?" He called out. "E-X-T-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-E." "Exterminate?" "Exterminate?! Apollo he's a Dalek! Get'um!" Apollo bound for the boy and tackled him to the ground, knocking the phone from his grip as the dog covered his face in wet, slobbery kisses. "Ha! Teach you." I muttered, picking up the phone. "Oh god, you saw that too, didn't you?" I muttered, a blush tickling my nose. _"I did. Truly impressive. If the shop doesn't work out you can always try your hand in the theater."_ I snorted, thumb moving over to access the boys saved videos. "Where is it you little snot?" I grunted, looking to the boy who was laughing, trying to get the shaggy dog off. _"He doesn't have it."_ My eyes flicked to the call once more. "You have it." _"I do."_ He smirked, his head propped up on his fist as he sat in what was clearly an airline seat. "What are your terms." A long finger tapped his chin in thought. _"Hmmm, not sure. I'll have to think on it."_ "Why doesn't that sound good?" Mokuba gave me a wide grin as he sat up, wiping his face. "Fine. Tell me your ransom when you come up with a price." I looked to the boy. "Heads up." His hands came out to catch the phone. "Love you Nii-san." _"You too Mokuba. Be good."_ "Always." He hit the end call and smirked up at me and I almost took a step back at how similar it was to his brother. "That was beautiful." "Shut up. Come on, I was just going to make some cookies."

"So this is Doctor Who." Said the boy, watching a few of the scenes from the episode I'd been watching. "Some of it, that's Matt Smith, he played Eleven. He's my favorite. Capaldi, the new doctor, is pretty close second though." "Why do you like him so much?" I shrugged, setting down a pair of steaming mugs. "I don't know... I think it's because that's when we got some really good writers on board, I felt like... the 11th hour had a lot of _context_. You know? There's a lot going on, but it's not hard to follow. Don't get me wrong, David Tennant, who played Ten did a _really_ good job, he got a lot of people liking Doctor Who again. He had some good episodes, and you can't skip Nine either. He was played by Christopher Eccleson, but he was only on for like a season then he bounced. Something about disagreements with directors... Anyway, they're good, but I loved Eleven." I gave a fond smile to the computer. "My absolute favorite episode is when Ten regenerates into Eleven and he met Amelia Pond. With fish fingers and custard." "Can we watch it?" My brows lifted. "You wanna watch Doctor Who with me?" I asked, touched. "Yea." Said the boy with a grin. "If it's your favorite, there must be a reason right?" I felt myself get giddy at the thought of making a new Whovian. "Alright... but you have to _promise_ to watch Nine and Ten." "I promise." "I'll hold you too it." I said with a smile as I went to find the episode.

We would end up watching a _few_ episodes that night. I found some popcorn stashed in one of the cabinets, and the boy, the dog, and I would end up moving downstairs to the couch and chairs so we could be a bit more comfortable. As the ending theme played, I leaned forward to start the next episode, only to catch the sound of a soft snore. Looking over, I saw the boy fast asleep on the cozy couch, the dog curled up at the other end, eyes peeking up through his shaggy brows. Treading lightly so I wouldn't wake him, I went upstairs and came back with a spare blanket. Locking the till and the front door, I drew the shades so they wouldn't wake him when the sun rose. Leaving a note to find whatever he needed, I headed upstairs for some rest myself.

When I woke the next morning, I found the boy at the table, a warm cup in his hands as he lazily swiped through his phone, a charger connected to a plug in the floor. "Hey." He looked up and gave me a sleepy smile. "Hey... Sorry I conked out." "Hey, no problems. Hope you slept okay on that old couch." I said as I sat down with my own mug. "Actually, I slept great. That couch is super comfy." "That's why I haven't gotten rid of it. Ugly as sin, but it serves a good purpose." I took a sip. "There's not much to eat here though, I don't cook much." "That's alright. There's a stand near the park that sells really good bagels, I'll pick some up on my way to see Seto." My brows lifted. "He's back already?" "He was just going for a meeting. He sent me a text saying he'll be landing soon." "Well hey, I gotta take Apollo out, I'll walk you there." His brows lifted. "You don't have too." "That's alright. Give me a few minutes to get dressed and we'll head out." I said as I stood, showing off the pj bottoms with Tardis' scattered all over. "Down in two shakes."

When I returned, I got a couple cups of coffee to go, and I grabbed my keys and Apollo's leash. The morning air was crisp, but refreshing, and I found myself just enjoying the walk. "So... tell me something James." "What's up?" "Are you single?" My brows flew up and I looked to the boy in shock. "Sorry kid, think I'm a little old for you." He flashed a grin. "Not for me." My brow rose, but he didn't elaborate. "So are you?" "Well... yea... haven't really been focused on dating." "Would you be interested though?" I found myself confused. "I don't know, why?" "No reason." "Yea the day I buy that is the day I buy that bridge of gold in San Francisco." We came up to the stand sitting at the corner of the park, and he bought a bag of bagels, quickly offering me one while we walked to allow Apollo to do his business. "You interested in anyone?" I snorted and gave the teen an amused stare. "C'mon kid, what's with this dating talk? You trying to set me up?" "Maybe." He got that smirk again and I could only shake my head. What was he planning? Before I could really question him further on it, a long limo pulled up to the curb and stopped. "That's Seto. I'll see you next week James!" Said the boy, jogging over and opening the door for himself. I was about to head back when I heard my name once more. The window rolled down and the boy hung out, a bagel in his hand. "Apollo!" The boy tossed it and the dog leaped up and snatched it out of the air, drawing my grin. "Bye guys!" Called the boy as the car pulled away.

"Hi Risa." "Hello James-san." "You _really_ don't have to call me that." I said with a good natured smile. "It's a habit." She said with a smile of her own. "I have your book." "Perfect, set it here, I'll get your cups." I brought down a pair of hot cups and set them on the counter as Apollo came to greet her. "Is this for Kaiba-sama?" She asked the dog with a giggle. "Actually, he picked that out for you. If you'd like." "For me?" She looked it over and gave a smile. "Well that is very thoughtful. But if I return without one for Kaiba-sama, he will be quite jealous." I gave a smile to the dog. "She's right. Can you see about finding one for Seto?" The dog yipped and turned to sniff out a text for the blue eyed man. Opening the book, I found the note I was expecting. The note was in Kanji, but I have a feeling he did that on purpose to poke at me. 'My terms are: Dinner, 8 PM, Wednesday. I'll pick you up. SK.' I felt a blush come to my nose. Did I translate that right? I used a chart in the back of my book for help, but it wasn't any different then what I had come up with. I flipped the page over but there weren't any answers on the back. Was this real? Uncertain if I could write the Kanji required for my response, I wrote back in English. 'Provided this isn't some twisted joke, I'll be here. J.' With a string of numbers marking my phone number.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Lots of favorites and follows, I love that! I'm glad you all want to know what's going to happen. Please review if you have a moment, and anyone just joining us please favorite, there's plenty of story left. BB**

 **I don't own yugioh**

Uncertain of how classy I needed to dress, I decided middle of the road was always a good choice. I had _one_ dress, it was black, with a dipping bust line, but with a lacy tank top below, and a pair of tights underneath it was much more modest then when I'd started. Adding a belt and a matching cardigan and knee high boots, I looked downright adorable. Styling my hair down for once, I tossed and teased the natural curls until they stayed in place. I was actually incredibly nervous. I didn't date often, and getting a dinner request from a crush was even more nerve wracking. Trying to sooth my nerves, I sat at my till and practiced a bit of Kanji. I was getting better, but my lines were still shaky and uncertain. As the bell above the door rang, I found myself a bit too focused on what I was doing to look up. "Hello..." I drawled in my lazy monotone, eyes remaining on my paper. "What are you doing?" I jumped at the sound of the blue eyed man's voice in my ear. "Attempting... except that one, I think I might have goofed a bit there." I said, indicating the symbol I'd botched when he'd startled me. Good _god_ he was wearing that cologne again. A rumble left his chest and I felt his arm come around to rest beside mine on the counter, his large hand covering mine easily. "Your hands are too tight. Loosen them up you won't shake as much." I felt a fluttering in my stomach as he showed my hand the proper way to form the symbols before me. "Much better." He murmured, voice tickling the shell of my ear. "You ready to go?" I nodded and moved to grab my purse. "So where are we going? Be kind to me, I can't use chopsticks either." He smirked a bit as he stood straight, those bright eyes watching as I collected my things and stood. I saw him too though. He wore a brown coat that stopped around his knees, with a black zip up shirt below, the collar going up his neck. It was oddly casual for what I'd seen the man in, and I kind of liked it. "There's a cafe by the pier that Mokuba has been wanting to go too." I felt myself grin as I locked the register. "So you ditch the kid and take me instead. Nice." "I figured he'd love to hear all about it." Replied the man casually, but I caught that smug undertone. "Oh that's mean. I love it, let's go." I bent and offered a kiss to the dog waiting by the register. "I'll be back later. No wild parties." The animal groaned and stretched out on his back, letting his legs come up in a splayed fashion. "Skeevy dog." I teased, heading for the door and pulling out the key to lock up.

A car would take us there, and though it would take a bit of forcing on my half not to be silent, I would pull the blue eyed man into back and forth exchange of pleasantries and weather, but nothing of any real context. When it came time to be seated, I was happy he picked the patio, it gave me something to look at other then that intense stare of his. After a long few moments of silence I sighed. "I'm sorry... I'm not a very good at this. I'm anti-social by nature." I let myself lean back in my chair and stared out at the waves lapping at the sand. "It's not anything we haven't done before." He said with a small smile. Wait, _smile_? Yes! He definitely had my attention now. "I know... but take me out of my cave and I get nervous." I replied with a chuckle, trying not to fidget. "I know the feeling." My brows lifted and I smirked. "What, you're not a socialite? Never would have guessed." He snorted and took a sip from his water. We settled in silence once more before he'd break it, our eyes over the water. "Why did you think it was a joke?" "Hmm?" "You said 'As long as it isn't some kind of sick joke, I'll be there.'" That bright stare turned to me. "Why would you think it was a joke?" I shrugged, kind of wishing he hadn't asked. "I don't know... I guess I thought you'd talked to Mokuba... He was asking me the other day if I was single... interested in anyone, I figured he talked you into it." "He did talk me into it." Said the blue eyed man with a smirk, leaning his elbow on the table and resting his chin on his hand. "He started in on me when I got back from my trip." "You're brother's about as subtle as a train wreck." A deep chuckle would leave his chest and he ducked his head. "Isn't that the truth."

In all honesty, the food wasn't that great, but his company was, once the ice melted a bit. "You have family back in the States?" I nodded in response. "I have a brother... Mom ran off when I was little, and my Dad passed a few years back..." "Older or younger?" "Older. I call him every week or so, just to check in and make sure he hasn't done something stupid." I snorted and smiled a bit. "Which, he's usually done anyway. He's one of those 'Rednecks' I told you about." "Oh really." I could hear his amusement. "I swear, if he didn't look just like my Dad you wouldn't even think we're related." I replied, reaching into the pocket of my cardigan and pulled out my phone, flipping through the pictures. "He had a camouflage wedding... who _does_ that?" I pulled up the picture he'd sent me of him and his wife together. "That's my brother Jack and his wife." His brows flew up at the sight of the man's tux. "Good lord." "Right? They wanted me in it but I um... might have... not... gone." His eyes snapped up and I gave a look of exaggerated guilt. "I just moved here and the trip tapped me out, and I didn't want to tell him... So I told him the invite got lost in the mail." "That's awful." "Dude. They wanted me in a camo dress, that's not okay." He snorted and I pulled the phone back. "She's pregnant, which I'm glad, he'll be a good dad. Hopefully it stops him from worrying about me so much." "That's what they do though. Siblings." "I'm a big kid, I'll be okay..." I gave a reluctant glance his way. "You have any family besides Mokuba?" He shook his head but didn't immediately answer. "I'm sorry, that was kinda personal..." "No. It's okay. We were adopted by the founder of Kaiba Corp. He had his reasons, but when I took over, he killed himself." "Doesn't sound like he was a graceful loser." "No... he wasn't. Wasn't a very good human being in general..." There was something in his tone. Disdain? Bitterness? "I'm sorry to hear that... but people like that... in the end they all get what's coming to them." I felt his stare turn my way, but my eyes was on the heavy moon that was raising over the tide. "It's funny, but the universe doesn't like being unbalanced. I've always been a firm believer in Karma." I snorted. "It's one of the few things I _do_ believe in. I think the energy you produce, ultimately, comes back to you." "Some might call that fate." "Maybe... but in the end the message is the same." I looked over and smirked. "I'm also pretty sure whoever she is, she's got my name tattooed on her somewhere, cause she always seems to find me."

"Thank you. Maybe if I tell Jack I actually went out on a date he'll stop calling me a lesbian." I said as he walked me to the door of the shop. It was well after midnight, the longest I'd stayed out in a long time. "How do know? Are you leading me on?" Teased the man as he took a step closer. "I can assure you I very much appreciate the male form." "I don't know... I'm a little nervous, I went to a lot of trouble to take you out." I couldn't help but laugh a bit. "How can I reassure you?" "There is one thing." My brows lifted and I felt my heart beat accelerate as he took a step in, his head leaning down until the gap between us closed. His lips were soft, and his hand gentle as he brought it up to cup my chin. When we parted, I felt breathless. He gave me that self-confident smirk and squeezed my chin. "I'll see you next week." "I..." I cleared my throat and gave a shy smile. "Next week." I grabbed the handle for the shop and pulled it open, brain still fuzzy as I stepped inside. Through habit I went for the light by the register, only to feel a hard hand wrap around my mouth. It was then I realized my mistake. The door was unlocked, and my keys were still in my purse.

"Hey Jamie." Fear shot down my spine. "Have fun on your little date?" I pulled at the grip holding me, but it didn't waver. Where was Apollo? "I shouldn't be surprised you don't put out, classy lady like you. Bet you're a third date kind of chick." I felt his breath on my ear and started to shake. What did he want? "It's the first... You have my money?" I tried to shake my head. I had nothing for him yet. "Well that's just a shame. What ever will we do to make this right?" My heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest. I tried to calm myself enough to try and work a way out, but fear of the man behind me, and what might come next had me frozen. I had to get free. I _had_ too. Shoving down my terror, I shoved us both back, feeling the wall pin the man for a moment. That's all I needed. Giving a hard jab to his stomach with my elbow, I took off for the stairs. I took them two at a time, going instantly for the next set that led to the loft. The second I made it up I went for the only door in the shop with a lock, the bathroom. I threw open the door, and out came Apollo, a snarl on his lips. "There you are!" I let out a scream as the man shoved me down. The dog was on him in a second, fangs digging deep into his arm. "Get _off_!" A sharp yelp left the dog and he fell to the floor. "And _you_." I felt a hand bury deep in my hair and force my head up. Thick fingers shoved something in my mouth before covering it, blocking my nose as he did so. "Going to run out of air eventually." Said the man with a sick chuckle. With no other option, I swallowed whatever he'd given me. The sound of duct tape would fill my ears and I couldn't stop the tears as they came. Releasing my nose, he slapped the tape over my lips, my hands quick to follow. I knew what was coming. I felt it. Apollo's growl would only give me hope for a moment, before the man's curse would quickly squish it. "I've had enough of _you._ " Dragging the animal by the back of it's neck, I heard him stomp down the stairs, the sound of the bell chiming as he threw out my one hope for help.

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	9. Chapter 9

inazumame1997 **The chills were meant to feel real. Thank you so much for reviewing, I love it. :)**

 **From here on out, I'm tossed as to whether SK is OOC, but I've coped by telling myself it's within reason given the current plot. If it gets to be too much let me know. I won't rewrite it, but I'll at least know ^^ Thanks so much for reading! BB**

 **I don't own yugioh, (Or DW for that matter)**

The shaggy dog slowly stood, shaking off the tumble he'd taken when he'd been thrown out the door of the shop. For several minutes, he whimpered, pacing the door, trying to get back in. When it became clear he wouldn't be able to gain access to the shop with out help, he looked around. Someone _had_ to be near. Putting his nose to the ground, he caught the scent of his mistress, with one more. He knew that scent, and he knew where it led. Turning his bright eyes up, he caught sight of the shining tower in the distance and took off for it.

The brunet man sighed for the what felt like the hundredth time in the last thirty minutes. He'd came to get a few things done before returning home, but he couldn't focus. He ran a hand through his hair, groaning as he sat back in his lush office chair. His mind turned to that kiss and a smile curled his lips. 'She _is_ cute.' He thought, thinking back to his brother's words upon his return from his recent trip.

" _Where did you crawl out of?" Asked the older brother as the teen crawled into the limo. "I fell asleep at James' shop." Said Mokuba, digging into the bag he carried and offering a bagel to the tired CEO. "Why'd you do that?" "I didn't mean too. We were watching Doctor Who and I dozed off. She let me stay." "That was nice of her..." "Yea... it was." Mokuba turned his stare to his brother, lips turning up in a smile. "She's a nice person." "I suppose." Replied the blue eyed man as he took the bagel and moved to take a bite. "She's also single." Bright blue eyes flicked up, only to see a smirk on the boy's face. "And how did that come up?" "I asked her. Just like_ _you_ _should ask her to dinner." "Oh please Mokuba." Said the older brother, a frown on his face as he took another bite from the bagel. "I'm serious. She's cute." "So?" "So?! When's the last time you even kissed a girl, let alone got laid?" Bright eyes turned shocked as he looked at his brother. "How is that even your business?" The teen shrugged as they pulled into the parking garage for the office. "It's not... Just saying... Can't if you don't try..."_

A snort left the man's nose as he stood, moving to look out the massive wall of windows that lined his office. The city was asleep for the most part, leaving only the lights to shine in the darkness, with the occasional car to sweep by. Crossing his arms, he sighed once more, thoughts returning to a nerdy book keeper and her odd dog. 'I wonder who trained him to pick out books? Was it her?' Bright eyes caught movement on the sidewalk and strained to see the source. It was quickly seen that it was a dog of some sort. Quick to pass it off as a wandering stray, the CEO was about to turn away when it stopped and sat down. A string of barks left the animal's lips, and the brunet felt an odd tickle, almost like the animal was looking at _him._ Frowning at the odd behavior, he studied the creature once more, and a wave of recognition ran through him. He knew that dog.

"Apollo." Instantly the dog was crossing the dead street and approaching the blue eyed man, barking and prancing. "What are you doing here? How did you get out?" Grabbing a mouthful of the man's coat, he tugged on it, a deep growl leaving him as he urged the human to follow. "Alright... alright I'm coming." Another bark left the dog as he took off back towards the shop at a run. He would stop every few hundred feet and look back, a hard bark leaving the canine as he looked at the blue eyed man. It was clear he wanted to return with a sense of urgency. Upping his pace to a jog to keep up, the brunet ran the path to the bookstore. When he approached, he instantly sensed something wasn't right. The door was wide open, the dog running inside instantly, barking madly. Moving to catch up, he went inside. The animal was on the second floor, barking to keep the man following before turning to finish his accent to the top floor.

Whining and wet licks across my face would bring me too. I heard another join me in the room and the second I felt hands on my form, adrenaline kicked in and I shoved myself away. "James, it's okay, it's me. It's Seto." The ringing in my ears dimmed and I felt myself breathe. I _knew_ that voice. Hands tore at the bindings around my wrists and the second I could break them I grabbed desperately at the tape on my lips. Ripping it off, I gasped for air, and promptly vomited. By the time I finished, my whole body shook like a leaf. Sitting back, I curled up, arms wrapping around my knees. "James..." His touch, gentle as it may have been, was too much in that moment, and I shoved it back. "Please... Please don't touch me, I can't _see_ you..." I said quietly. "Alright... alright." He leaned up and flicked on the lamp beside the bed, lighting the loft enough for me to see the figures around me, even if they were nothing but blurry shapes. "Here..." I felt the cool metal of my glasses and quickly put them in place. Shapes defined, and I felt genuine relief at the sight of the blue eyed man. A sob escaped my throat, and I wept my relief. It was over. This time when he touched me, the fear had eased, and I let him pull my form into his. Shifting out of his jacket, I felt the warmth as he wrapped me in it. Soft words of safety would come from his lips as I tried to stop the tremors. Piece by piece, bit by bit, I felt my mind return. Actual thought started to work it's way in. I still felt drugged, but after I'd purged my stomach it didn't feel so overwhelming. "How did you find me?" I whispered, voice broken from crying. "Apollo." I sniffed and lifted my head from it's spot buried in the CEO's chest.

The dog was watching, a clear look of concern in those bright brown eyes. My shaking hand came out and he instantly came over to lick it. "That's a good boy." I whimpered, pressing my face into that shaggy coat in a grateful embrace. The dog whined and licked my hands. I felt another sob leave me, but I took several deep breaths to calm myself once more. "James what happened? Who did this?" Asked Seto softly. I shook my head and sniffed, a look of resolve coming over my face. "I need a shower. I can't... I can't do this just yet." "Wait, James you can't, we need to call the police." "No cops." I said firmly as I moved to stand, my knees shaking. "You need too-" " _You_ don't know what I need!" I snapped. It's the only time I'd ever been short with him, and it clearly caught him off guard. "If you wanna help... get me to the shower. If not... get out. I'll do it by myself." My voice shook, but my message was clear. Standing, the man took my arm and helped me to the bathroom. The rug I normally kept in front of the tub was shoved back, and the curtain had been yanked down, no doubt from when Apollo had been forced inside. "Here is fine..." I said, moving to sit on the toilet seat. "Are you going to be okay?" "I'll be fine... can you go lock the door? I don't know where my keys are..." I was still a bit dazed. "I'll find them. Call if you need me." He stepped out and shut the door behind him. I sat there for a long moment and tried to collect myself. Nothing was lining up right, but it may not for a while. Leaning forward, I started the water.

My body was covered in dark bruises, my hair had knots in it, and my glasses were bent. Those were physical, but I knew they would all mend. I stayed in that boiling shower and scrubbed my skin until it blushed pink, even though I knew the dirty feeling I had was purely mental. My mind was clearing more and more as time passed, and by the time I exited the shower I was able to dress myself. The vomit had been cleaned up, in what I suspected was nervous energy from my savior as he waited. Using the wall as support, I moved downstairs. The moment I came into view, the man stood and I held a hand in a clear motion to stop. Finding one of the chairs, I flopped down in it and saw a hot mug waiting for me. Taking a deep drink, I sighed, and replaced the mug on the table. Pulling my glasses off, I ran my hands over my face. "It was Jensu. The landlord." My fingers ran up my sinus' and up to my forehead. "I don't... remember a lot, he gave me something. Probably GHB or Rohypnol, they both do pretty much the same thing." I picked up my glasses and studied them, bending the bridge back into place before replacing them on my nose. "I'll probably remember more in a few days after it gets out of my system." It was strange. I'd felt so hysteric during the event, and when I was found, but now I didn't feel much of anything. I wasn't sure if I was just drained from the ordeal or if I was just numb. I suspected a bit of both. "That's why you should get help _now_. While you still have proof." "GHB and Rohypnol leave the body within hours." I looked up and saw a deep anger in his stare, but... it didn't scare me.

"I'm not going to the hospital, so you can just let that go." "Why? You want him caught don't you? He should pay for this." It was clear he was upset, and I found it odd he was more upset about it then I was. "He won't... the police will look into it, but in the end, it'll go on a shelf. A case of he said she said." " _Look_ at what he's done to you!" He snarled as he stood, the sound of one of my mugs shattering against the floor had my gaze narrowed on him. "You want to know what would happen? We'd show up in that ER, wait hours to be seen, then when finally I would get in, I'd have to tell the nurse what happened. Then I'd get naked, expose myself to a doctor I don't know while I told _them_ what happened. When the police show up, I'd give a verbal statement, which would then be followed by a _written_ statement. They'd take my clothes, send me home and wait for testing. He used a condom, and if it _was_ GHB by the time I would have been seen it would very possibly be gone out of my system. They'd find him, and take his statement, to which he could have just as easily said it was consensual, since my aunt and him seemed to have this... _agreement_ for a discount on rent. Or he could just as easily say he saw me with _you_ on a date." I looked into that bright stare. "There is no good outcome here." "You don't know that." "I _do_ know that." "How." "Because I've done it." The chill in my tone would have him still. "In a society where rape cases go unsolved by _thousands_ there is _always_ room to blame the victim. What was I wearing? Did I lead him on? The door was open, I must have let him in..." "You've been..." "When I was in New York... I was grabbed and assaulted in Central Park... He told the police I'd _propositioned_ him, and they believed him. Because I tested positive for coke." My tone was almost hollow as I recounted the story. "Never mind the fact I'd done a few lines at a party three days before. I _must_ have been high... I was in jail for a month on Prostitution charges before the frat boys who found me came forward." I finally broke my hard stare with the man to look at my mug. "So forgive me if I'm not exactly trusting of the system... just going with what I know." He sank to his chair and fell against the back of it. "So what do we do?" "Nothing... I change the locks, put in a security system and get a restraining order and hope he follows it... that's about what I can do." "What can _I_ do?" "Pray karma runs him over with a bus." I said darkly before looking up. "Bear with me while I deal... Might be a while before I feel up to another date."

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	10. Chapter 10

**Another chapter down, I'm getting close to the actual ending of the story in my writing, so please follow and favorite so you can see how it ends! Thank you to everyone reading along.**

 **BB**

 **I don't own yugioh or DW**

I felt myself spiral a bit over the course of the next few weeks. I kept the shop closed, and would spend hours cleaning it. Finishing my organizing, cleaning everything from the shelves to the floor with polish, even going as far as cleaning out the fridge. It's when I ran out of things to do did I sink. I didn't crawl out of bed for a few days. I heard the shop phone and my cell ring, but I couldn't find it in myself to care. I knew I should at least send a text to Seto, tell him I was okay, but I felt like I didn't have the energy. I wasn't sleeping. It seemed every time I dozed more chunks of that night would come up. I hated it. Apollo tried to rouse me, he tried everything from begging like he did for his treats, to tugging at my afghan. I saw the worry over his mistress, but I _just_ couldn't bring myself to care, because right now? I'd never felt more insignificant.

"Hey there pretty lady, I'm lookin' for a Mister Kaiba, see he called me the other day 'bout my sister- Hey!" Two large men, clad in dark suits grabbed the man by the arms and drug him out to the front steps. "As if Mr. Kaiba would have anything to do with you." Grunted one. "Well, isn't this lovely?" Grunted the man, crossing his arms and dropping to the stone steps leading up to the tower. It was easy to see instantly he didn't belong. Thick, brown, scuffed square toed boots showed they were a daily driver, stains that looked like blood and lord knows what else covering the top. Thick denim covered his legs, and to protect himself from the cold he wore a thick camouflage jacket, with a hat to match. "That certainly didn't go like I thought." Grunted the man, reaching inside his coat and pulling out his cell. Dialing a familiar number, he wasn't surprised when it didn't pick up. Instead of the standard voicemail message though, he received a jingle with the automated words. _"The number you are trying to reach is unable to take voicemails at this time. Please try again later."_ "Dammit..." "You're Jack." The American looked up to see a tall, brunet man, dressed in a fine blue suit. "I apologize for your treatment, I didn't inform my staff you might be arriving. I am Seto Kaiba." The suited man offered a hand to the camo covered man on the steps and helped him to his feet. "If you want, we can go now. I've cleared my schedule for the day." "Uh... yea, yea, that's fine. I don'know where I'm goin' though, so lead the way."

The CEO could easily see the resemblance between the two, the key feature being the dark eyes we shared, but that's where it stopped. My hair was black, and from what Kaiba could tell the man beside him was either a brunet or a dark blond. "It's not far. This way." The pair crossed the street and Jack had to really try to keep up with the blue eyed man's long strides. "So... what's got you so worried you gotta call me?" Said Jack, voice a bit winded from his power walking. "My brother and I haven't been able to get a hold of her, and we're concerned about her welfare..." Sharp eyes looked at the Westerner and slowed his pace to a much more comfortable level. "Why? She sick?" That had the suited man at a stop. "She didn't tell you." "Tell me what? She hasn't called me lately." Jack's brows pinned as he thought about it. "Come to think of it, that Arab friend of hers called me the other day askin' if I'd talked to her..." Dark eyes met blue. "Is my sister okay?" "I don't think so." The taller of the two moved to continue, but the other one grabbed his arm. "Why not." "You should ask her." "I'm askin' _you_." The grip tightened, and Jack's tone turned almost threatening. "Did you do somethin' to her?" Kaiba's brows pinned and a frown came over his lips at the insinuation. "No... I found her after someone else _did._ " Shock had the American's grip loose, allowing the CEO to pull free. "She didn't go to the hospital, and next thing I know the shop is closed and she's not picking up her phone." Hurt was easy to read on Jack's face, and the brunet sighed. "I was hoping you could talk to her..." "Yea... yea, I'll talk to her..." The American reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Take me to her."

By the time they reached the shop, the camouflaged man had steeled his resolve, determination set on his face. Trying the handle, the door was locked, as it had been for a while now. "She sent me a key when she first came out here, hang on." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a large set of keys. "Might take a minute. Gotta remember which one it is..." He sorted through the set, and narrowed it down to a set of three. The first one didn't work, but the second one did. Turning the heavy deadbolt, the American went first. The shop was absolutely silent, except for a deep growl coming from the floor. "Hey Apollo... the lady of the house home?" Turning to look at the man who followed, Jack froze, coming face to face with the muzzle of a pistol. Shock filled the stares on either side of the gun before my shaky voice broke the silence. "Jack?" "Jamie." A large hand grabbed the pistol and gently tugged it away as my arms came out to wrap around my brother. "What are you doing here?" I whispered. "Your friends were worried about you James... He flew me out here." I pulled back and looked to the man with him, a frown on my lips. "Why? I'm fine." "You're _not_ fine." Replied Seto, hands in his pockets. "Think I know how I'm feeling better then you do, thanks." I looked to my brother and held a hand out. "Give me my gun." "Actually, I was kinda wantin' to look at it, this is a nice li'l pistol you got here. Can't see a damn thing though, let me get these blinds." I winced as the blinds to the shop lifted, letting in the sunshine. "Jesus Christ." I shot a dirty look to my brother, who had a look of shock on his face. My hair was greasy, and I had dark circles under my eyes. "You look like shit." "You look like shit all the time." I hissed, moving to escape the pair upstairs. "Come on, that's not nice. Come back and talk to me." "I don't want to talk to you!" "You're talkin' to me now!" "Fuck you Jackson!" The man at the foot of the stairs grinned obnoxiously. "C'mon Jamie! We're worried! That Pakistani friend'a yours called wonderin' if you were okay." "She's not Pakistani you pig." I snapped, lip curling in disgust as I moved to go up the second flight. "But you knew exactly who I was talkin' 'bout, didn't ya?" He frowned as I kept going, jogging to catch up. The CEO sighed and looked at his feet where the dog was looking up with a begging stare. "I bet you haven't been out in ages." A whine left the dog and the blue eyed man leaned down to pet his ears. "Go get your leash."

I holed myself up in the bathroom, curled up behind the door while my brother leaned on the other side of it, begging for me to talk to him. "Talk to me Jamie... I'm worried about you..." "I'm fine." "That's why you're holed up in the bathroom?" I sighed and looked away from the door. It's clear this was where Apollo had been doing his business while I tried to sleep my troubles away. "Look, somethin' happened... somethin' bad..." I felt a lurch in my stomach. "How do you know that." "He told me Jamie." I felt a burning rage fill my stomach. "Don't get mad at him, I made him do it." "It wasn't his secret." "Why was it a secret at all? Why did I learn that from him in the first place?" I went silent and I heard him move against the door. "I...I don't know..." I whispered. "To be honest... I just want to forget it ever happened." "You have to come to terms with somethin' before you can let it go...Tell me what happened." I felt my lip tremble, but I told my brother what happened that night. The date with Seto, coming home to find my door opened, what little flashes I'd been haunted by over the course of the last few weeks. "So why you hidin' yourself away?" Asked Jack, hearing my sniffles and feeling the strings on his heart pull. "I don't know what else to do Jackson." I whimpered. "I've been...numb. I didn't know what else to do." I brought my hands up and felt the tears come. Tears that had been held back and buried. "I feel so...dirty and used, and scared... and hurt. There so much I don't know what else to do so I shut down... I keep asking why." I sniffed and felt a sob escape. "It's not fair... I've done my time." "I know you have." The handle jiggled. "Open the door Jamie." I unlocked the door and leaned out, falling into a warm embrace with my brother and staying there until my tears dried. "Hey Jamie..." "Yea?" I asked, wiping my face with the back of my hand. "When's the last time you showered?" I felt a blush run over my nose. "Might have been a minute..." "That's what I thought..." He looked around and saw take out containers and pizza boxes scattered around my room. "Let's get this, and _you_ cleaned up... you stink." I gave him a shove, but started on the bathroom.

"You're a fuckin' pig James." "That's cute coming from the guy who had to sleep with chicks in _my_ room because his was such a dump." I growled from the top of the stairs. "You had all those books, they thought I was smart." Said the man at the bottom of the stairway, arms out as I tossed down a trash bag. "What an utter disappointment that must have been when you opened your mouth." I commented dryly as the bell over the door rang, showing the return of the CEO, Apollo at his side. At least I _thought_ it was Apollo. "What did you do to my dog?" I asked, coming down to the balcony and cocking my head at the sight of the once shaggy animal. He'd been given a hair cut, his once long eyebrows no longer hanging in his face. The stringy clumps that had started to mat were gone, and to replace the fur that had been taken, he'd been given a dark blue sweater. It was clear he felt much better, his ears were up, and his tail was wagging. "I took him to the groomers. You're welcome." "Are you wearing a _sweater_?" I held my arms out. "Come to me! Let me see!" The dog yipped and jogged up the stairs, trailing his leash behind him. "That's just unnatural, dog wearin' a sweater." Grunted Jack as he went to haul out the bags of trash collected. "I'll tell you what's unnatural, the dick wearing camo in the middle of the city." I replied before bending to greet the dog, giving him the first smile I'd had in weeks. "You look so clean! And you smell so fresh! Yes, that's nice." I cooed, pulling the leash off and accepting the kisses the animal offered. "You look so cute in your li'l sweater. Don't listen to Jack, you're adorable. And you look _so_ much better." I murmured, scratching the dog's face. "You look better too..." Spoke Seto as he reached the second floor, moving to take a seat at the table. "That's nice of you to say... but I know what I look like." I said with a small smile as I stood and moved to make coffee. My supplies had run low, leaving only Hazelnut and decaf. "I _feel_ better though." I put the funnels in and started the brew before I moved to sit down. "Might look like shit, at least you feel good about it!" Said Jack as he pulled off his jacket, showing a bright red shirt that read 'Merica!' in big, bold, letters across the chest. "At this point I'm just... happy to feel something." I said as I moved to sit beside the CEO while the coffee brewed. "So how we doin' this? You know where this guy lives? Let's hunt'um down and tear his kneecaps out." "I like his idea." Said Seto, looking my way. "No... I just.. Want to move on. I'll get the locks changed and get a security system installed." "That's not going to fix it." Said the brunet firmly. "He'll find another way. He owns the property, he can deny your claim." "So what _should_ I do?" I growled. "If I fight him he'll just take the building and I'll have to move the shop somewhere else." "So do that." Said Jack. "I can't _afford_ to do that dipshit. Vanessa left me waist deep in debt. Throw in the fact that I haven't been open in two weeks, I don't even know how I'm going to pay the vermin rent this month." "You let me take care of that..." Said Seto before turning to look at my brother. "If I can find him, can you take care of it?" "You drop that dick on my door I will take care of him with bells on." Said my brother with a smirk. "Wait. No. I don't want-" "It's not about that anymore Jamie." My brows pinned and a serious expression crossed Jack's face. "He needs to pay for what he did to you... if you don't want to press charges, fine... I'll take care of it." "I'm not asking you too." I replied. "You don't need too. That's big brothers do. I'm _not_ gonna let him get away with this."

"I'm gonna go grab my stuff from the hotel... I'm gonna stay with you." Said Jack as he slipped his coat back on. "Jack." "Shut _up_." I shot the man a dirty look as he zipped up his jacket with a grin. "I'm gonna pick up some food too, this place is dry as a bone. With _real_ coffee. Not this crap." "That _is_ real coffee, you wouldn't know flavor if it came and bit you in the ass." I grunted. "Do you need me to get you a car?" Asked the brunet politely. "Nah, I'll be alright. I got my GPS if I need it. It's not that far." The American patted the CEO's shoulder. "'Preciate it though! Look after her while I'm gone." "I'm not a kid." I grunted. "You're my kid sister." Teased Jack as he squeezed my face playfully, getting a swat in return. "Apollo! You wanna come with?" The dog perked and jumped up to follow the man to the door, grabbing his leash once more. As the bell rang silent I sighed, looking out the now bright windows. "You've gone to a lot of trouble for me..." "It wasn't that hard... My assistant found him on Facebook, and got his number. After that it was just a phone call and a plane ticket." "But... that's not it." I wasn't totally sure with myself, but I gently took one of the large hands he had on the table and brought it to mine, my eyes coming down to study it. "You found me... you could have called the police that night... but you didn't... You found Jack and brought him here..." His hands were everything about him in one place. Clean, neat, but strong, and had their share of scars and callous. The backs of his hands were smooth, but you could see the muscle and veins below as I moved it in my grip. They weren't heavy like Jack's, but they weren't light like mine either. I suspected they held a strength and grip you wouldn't expect. "Seto, I can never thank you enough for everything you've done for me... You've saved me in every sense of the word... and I am truly grateful." Suddenly, the hand in mine moved, and wrapped around my fingers, squeezing gently. "You don't have to thank me... whatever you need, I'm here for you." His other hand came down to cup my hands in his and I felt those soft lips press to my knuckles.

 **Thank you!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you everyone who's followed and reviewed, I truly appreciate it! I have an ending picked out, so if you haven't yet follow and favorite to find out how it ends!**

 **I don't own Yugioh or Doctor Who**

As the first of the month grew closer, I found myself growing nervous. I'd made some serious strides with my brother's help. I'd reopened, much to many of my regular's relief. I took my back trucks and stored them in the small cellar until I could go through and sort them. My coffee had been restocked, with an extra order of the Egyptian brew. Customers were loving the new organized shelves, and as a result, I'd seen a flux in business. It would be a Tuesday afternoon when a truck of unknown origin would pull up, with a sleek, familiar town car. In came Seto, pouring confidence as he stepped inside and looking at the people gathered at the different tables. "Everyone out. Wizard's Asylum is closed for the day." My brows flew up and I looked over in shock. "What?" The room filled with the sounds of grumbling and people moving. "What the hell are you doing? You can't just walk in here like you own the joint." I said, standing before him with my hands on my hips. "But I do own it." He reached into his suit and pulled out a folded sheet, offering it to me. Snatching it out of his hand, I scanned the sheet. It held a lot of law jargon, but I caught sight of one thing. _'Kaiba Corporation will own the following properties forthwith; 'Wizard's Asylum' at 3604, Vacant property at 3605, and any and all tenant housing owned by one Jensu Teneki at 3627.'_ He owned all of Jensu's properties. But why? And more importantly, _how_? "What have you done?" I asked as the last of my customers stepped out. "Not surprisingly, your previous landlord had some sloppy dealings. One of them just so happened to be with a business associate of mine." He smirked. "One phone call is all it took." I was speechless. "Why..." "Later. Come on, we have an appointment." "We?" My brows pinned in confusion. "We." He offered an arm, and with little reason not too, I took it. "Apollo! You too!" The sound of the dog's nails clicked on the wood floor as he jogged to catch up with us. "Call me when you're done." Said the blue eyed man to one of the men waiting by the truck. "Yes sir." "Who's-" "Later." He hushed as he pulled open the door to the town car and pressed me in, the dog following right after.

"Where... are we?" I asked as I climbed out of the car and looked around. We were somewhere in the outskirts of Domino, in some sort of quarry or train maintenance yard, I could hear the locomotives in the distance. "You're brother's late." Said the CEO, checking his Rolex and crossing his arms. "Jack?" My brows pinned in confusion, which only furthered at the sound of an engine. Looking at the gate, a metallic blue mustang came through with a rumble. Pulling up to the middle of the clearing, my brother got out with a grin. "Hey Jamie Lamey! Look at what your boyfriend let me play with!" I felt a blush run over my nose and groaned, covering my face with my hand. "You're late." Spoke Seto. "Couldn't help it man, I had to take it for a spin." Said Jack with a bright grin. "C'mere Jamie! I brought you a present." Feeling the blue eyed man's heavy hand on my shoulder, I felt pressed towards the shiny car. "Get a load of the junk in my trunk." Drawled Jack, keys in hand as he popped the lid to the trunk. Shock would fill my form as I took in what laid inside. Jensu was bound with a pair of handcuffs and some rope, with a swatch of duct tape over his mouth. "What the _fuck_ Jackson!" A muffled sound that could only be a curse came from the man inside the trunk. "What? You don't like it? That really hurts me sis, we went to a lot of trouble." Said Jack with a feigned look of hurt. "What were you thinking?! This is kidnapping!" I snapped. "It's gonna be a lot more then that by the time I'm done with'um." Replied my brother with a smirk, reaching in and yanking on the man's cuffs to drag him out. Dropping to the muddy ground with a sick thud, the bound man wiggled, but he wasn't going anywhere. "Let me have those." Jack lifted the man's cuffed hands up and rearranged them, freeing one and hooking the cuff through a tow hook on the car's bumper.

Jensu swung at Jack, but my brother just shoved the hand away and stepped on it, bending to level with him. "Hi... I'm Jack. That's m'sister. But ya'll met already..." The smile melted from his face. "Now I'm gonna give you one chance..." My brother's hand reached down and grabbed a handful of the man's cheap suit. "You're gonna look to that girl... and you're gonna apologize for what you've done to her. Then when you're done you're gonna beg her for mercy. 'Cause you're sure as shit not gettin' any from me." A hard yank would have the duct tape off the man's lips. "Fuck you." Were the first words out of the greasy man's mouth. "And fuck your bitch of a sister... She wasn't even that good." A sick grin would split the man's face. "She got a tight ass though." My brother reached up to a holster on his hip and pulled out a large hunting blade, causing the bound man to stop talking. "That's not an apology." Said Jack, that dark stare hardening before he leaned down and cut the rope around the man's feet. "I gonna show you what happens when you fuck with family where _I'm_ from." That bright smile returning, my brother stood and reached into his pocket for the keys, looking to where the blue eyed man and I stood. "What's the fastest a human being can run?" "Go for the record." Spoke Seto, voice dripping with disgust. Jack stepped over and I felt unsure of how I felt on what was unfolding before me. "Don't kill him Jack..." I said quietly. "I promise." He replied, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Don't worry! I saw this in a movie once." He flashed another smile before turning and heading for the car. "You better get up!" He taunted the man at the bumper before climbing in and starting the roaring engine. Scrambling to his feet, I saw horror cover Jensu's face as the car shifted into drive and slowly started rolling. "No! Wait, wait, wait!" The car increased it's pace and I watched the awful man speed up into a jog, his hands coming to the trunk to balance himself in the mud and gravel.

The window rolled down and I saw my brother watching in the mirror, head turning every once in a while to see for himself. "You do cardio? You're not doin' half bad!" Pressing the car faster, it was clear the man attached was starting to struggle. A loud whistle left my brother's lips and the dog at my side took off behind the caravan, a loud snarl leaving the canine's lips as he lunged at the man's feet. Getting the back of the running man's calf, I saw one foot lose it's balance, followed quickly by the other. Powering through mud, and every puddle and pothole he could find, my brother only stopped when the man stopped moving. Pulling the car to it's previous position before us, I was relieved to see the man wasn't dead. The last thing I wanted was my brother charged with murder. Jensu panted heavily from his spot at the base of the car, covered in mud and scrapes from the rocks below. "Got somethin' to say?" Asked Jack as he came around to where the exhausted man lay. "Eat. Shit." Panted Jensu. "Alright. Round two." My brother moved to return to the car and the man cried out. "No! No! Wait, wait, wait! Please, no, not again!" Apollo growled from his spot beside the car. "Then you best be sayin' what you need to say." Said Jack. "I'm... I'm sorry." Panted out Jensu, eyes turning to me. He was scared, that much was clear, but it _was_ genuine. "I'm sorry for what I did to you." "That's the ticket." Said Jack, stepping over and grabbing the front of his suit. "If I find out that you've gone _anywhere_ near my sister... I'll be back." He dropped the muddy man back to the gravel and reached into his pocket for the keys to the cuff. Apollo gave a deep growl and trotted over, lifting a leg and urinating on the bound man, drawing my brother's deep laughter. Scraping the ground as if covering up a steaming pile, the dog trotted back over to where we stood, looking for my approval. I couldn't help but give it to him, a smile curling my lips as I stroked his soft ears. "Don't suppose you'd let me borrow this pretty car a bit longer, would ya?" Asked Jack with a grin to the man at my side. "I could part with it a while longer... take it to be cleaned when you're done." Replied the brunet with a smirk. "Sweet! C'mon Apollo, you can feel the wind through your dorky li'l sweater." The dog gave a yip and licked my hand sweetly before trotting over and jumping into the front seat. "Come on... I have something else for you." Large hands wrapped around mine and pressed a sweet kiss to the back.

He took me to lunch, which was nice, but I wasn't much company. My mind was turning, and thinking over my feelings. After we were done, we headed back to the shop. I pulled my keys out and through habit flicked out the familiar key to the deadbolt. My lips curled down in a deep frown as it stuck, unmoving in the lock. "Here." Long fingers held out a small ring of keys and after a bit of hesitation, I tried them. A soft chime sounded as the door opened, followed by a string of short chirps. Looking over, I found the source, the blue eyed man pressing a code in and silencing it. "I took the liberty of putting in a new system for you... there's cameras on the bottom and second floor, and it's hooked up through a new wifi system. Your router wasn't strong enough to handle the extra bandwidth." I spotted the small, noninvasive camera bulbs through out the store. "The good news is you could probably offer wifi to your customers now, and you can check the cameras any time you want from your phone." "Why did you...do all this?" I asked, looking to where he stood, face unreadable. "As your new landlord, I have an obligation to you as my tenant... Your safety is my number one priority." "So replace the lock! This is..." "You don't like it?" I felt a sob escape my throat, hands coming up to cover my face as tears welled in my eyes. "I love it." I whimpered. I hadn't felt safe in the shop since the attack, but without the funds to fix it, I'd been forced to deal with the store's meager precautions. He approached me slowly, and a soft hand would brush a tear away from the corner of my eye. "You deserve to be safe. And I will do all I can to make you feel that way." My hands came out to wrap around his waist and pull him into an embrace. He tensed a moment, clearly unused to such a motion, but I didn't care. "Thank you." His arm came around my shoulders and I felt him relax into the exchange. "You're welcome."

"I love you Jamie." I smiled into my brother's jacket. "I love you too Jack." He pulled back and gave me a wide smile. "Have a safe trip home... let me know when you get there." "I will... and hey..." He gave a glance to the brunet a short distance away and leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "You could do worse." I snorted and shoved him back. "Thanks." He moved to the CEO and gave a firm handshake. "I owe you one man. You need anything just name it." "I'll remember that." "Good deal!" He gave a parting grin and started for the gate. "Hey!" I took a few steps forward and he turned. "Boy or girl? I need to send something to send for the shower." The man shrugged, showing he didn't know. "When all else fails..." He tugged on his jacket. "Camo!" I scoffed and he gave me one last grin before turning and heading for the gate once more. "The fuck if I'm putting a child in camouflage." I muttered as I met back up with the CEO and headed out of the terminal. As the sun hit my face, I took a deep breath of the sweet air. Spring was approaching fast, the nights weren't so chilly, and the trees were starting to bloom. As we climbed into the waiting car, I spoke up. "I was wondering... If you could spare Mokuba tonight?" He looked over, brows up. "I have some back stock I need to sort, I could use the extra hand. I haven't seen him in a while and I miss him..." He was quiet a moment before replying. "I told him you needed some time...that you've been going through a bit of a struggle and your brother was here to help you through it." It wasn't a lie, and it was close enough to the truth that I felt grateful. "I don't think he has any plans after school... I'll send him your way."

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	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, I had to get a little creative with this and the next chapter, I wasn't sure how to split it up, I'll probably post the next chapter just because I have so much to do tomorrow. I'm moving soon, but don't worry! I finished this story last night :) Thank you everyone who's following along.**

 **I don't own Yugioh or DW**

"James!" I couldn't help but smile at the sight of the dark haired teen, surprised when he wrapped me in a tight hug. "I've been worried about you! Seto said you were having some trouble... are you okay?" I gave a squeeze back and nodded. "I'm okay... just working through a few things..." I patted his shoulder. "I'm glad you're here. I've got a ton of back stock to go through, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to lend a hand. There's cookies in it for you." "Sure!" "Sweet." I showed him to the large trap door in the center of the shop, a set of steps leading down to the dark room that held boxes of packed books. Stepping down, I picked up the first one and passed it to the boy paused on the stairway. Using that, I pulled out half the boxes before smiling. "That should do it for now, let's get to work." We set up on the floor, the shop wasn't busy, but a steady trickle of customers in and out would catch the teen's notice. "Business doing better?" I nodded, sorting the stack before me by fiction and non-fiction, then by subject. "Since I've reorganized and can actually tell what kind of stock I have, it's easier for people to find what they're looking for. I get a lot of college kids during the week now." "That's great! I noticed you got a new security system too." I looked over, confused. Had his brother not told him? "That creep dish out or he make you pay for it?" I shook my head, looking back to my books. "New landlord." "That's good. That guy was a jerk." "Agreed... but he's gone." I felt a deep sense of happiness at those words. He _was_ gone. And I was safe. As long as I remembered that, I knew I would be okay. "So you like the new guy? Must not be too bad if he put in a system." He squinted at the panel by the door. "It's a nice one too, that's what we use at the Estate." I smirked a bit as I passed over a book that still needed marked. "He's a nice guy... I heard he can be an ass though."

"So can Seto." I snorted and looked up, a grin slowly growing. "What? I love him, but it's like not calling Apollo a dog, it's very clear that's what he is." He shared a grin with me. "He's not that bad though, once you get to know him." "I'm sensing that..." "So... you um... go out on any dates lately?" My brows flicked up and my grin turned into a smirk. "Why you wanna know?" He shrugged. "Just curious." "You little sneak." I said with a snort. "We know you set us up, you dork." He flashed a grin, not even ashamed he'd been busted. "So what'd you think? Come on, tell me." "It was fine, he was very charming." I said with a chuckle. "Where did you go? Was it Les Nebal? I hate that place." Asked the teen with a mock face of disgust. "No, we went to this cafe on the pier." "What? Was it Gallette? That French place? I wanted to go there!" I smirked and stood, moving to put up some of the books before me. "What did you have? Was it good?" "I don't remember." "NO! James..." He whined, drawing a smile from me as he flopped himself to fall back on the hardwood floor.

We would finish my back stock, at least what would fit on the shelves, in a few hours. In exchange was the cookies I promised and a bit of help with his homework. I was okay in math, decent in history, but English was my strong suit, which was obviously not as important here as it was where I was from. The boy was eager to help me with my kanji, which was still very basic and actually speaking the words I was writing. "You're accent is horrible." Said Mokuba with a grin. "I'm sure it is. I haven't really spoken any, it's been mostly writing." "Well, either way, it's cool you're learning. You can at least understand people." "I'm pretty adamant about at least learning it. If I can't speak it, fine, but I should learn it. I'm staying here, I should learn the language." I stood and headed downstairs, intent on closing the register. I was counting my bills when the door opened and my voice rolled out, not bothering to look up. "We're closed, come back tomorrow." "If you insist..." My head snapped up and I rolled my eyes at the tall brunet. "Lock that, would you?" He flipped the sign and flicked the deadbolt. "Almost like you were waiting for someone..." Replied the CEO, a tiny smirk in place as he made his way over to where I stood. "Maybe." I shut the drawer and turned to face him. "There's this really good lookin' regular that comes in right before close." His brows lifted as he closed the gap between us. "Really?" "Yea, he didn't come tonight, so thanks for getting that." "Oh, s-nap." Our eyes turned to see the teen watching our encounter eagerly. My tone lowered as I looked back to the man before me. "He's been grilling me about that date all night." "Has he?" The smirk on Seto's face grew. "What did you tell him?" "I couldn't remember what we had, I was too _caught up in the moment_." I said, giving my tone one of whimsy, throwing my head back and bringing my hand to my chest as though love struck. "Of _course_ you were." Replied the man with a chuckle, arm coming to pull my form flush. "I'm _incredibly_ charming." I was enjoying our playful banter, but I couldn't help but feel uneasy at his form so close. We'd hugged, which I enjoyed, but I also started those. As if sensing my inner turmoil, he pulled himself away, and started for the stairs. "Did you get anything done today?" He asked his brother, spurring the teen into a mile long explanation about the different things we'd accomplished in the last few hours.

"Night James, oh wait!" The teen suddenly turned from where he was about to crawl into the town car. "I was wondering if you were busy Saturday?" "Well during the day yea..." I hung onto the door, not really willing to step outside after the sun had lowered. "Well what about after you close?" I shrugged. "What do you say about a Doctor Who marathon?" A wide smile came over his face. "I promise I won't fall asleep this time." I couldn't help but give one in return. "Yea? You wanna start from Nine?" "I do! C'mon, please?" Damn this boy had puppy eyes worse then Apollo. "Alright... I'll bring my DVD's with me... where do you guys live?" "I'll send a car for you at 8." I nodded. I could make that work. "Awesome! See you!" He ducked in the car and I shut the door, locking it and setting the code. As I moved upstairs, Apollo looked up from his spot beside the table, cocking his head as if to say 'What's wrong?' before getting up and following to the loft. I shrugged as I flopped down to my bed. Since the attack, I'd changed the bedroom around, allowing the head of it to be facing the top of the stairs. I pulled my hair down and shook it out. I didn't feel like myself. I knew I'd be on edge for a few months at least, but I almost felt stuck in this weird cycle of paranoia, and fear. I knew I needed to change that cycle somehow, but I also knew I needed to let myself recoup. My mind drifted to the blue eyed man. His touch was so sweet, and gentle, but as I'd seen tonight it didn't matter the nature of the touch, just the touch itself. I flopped back to the bed and shifted as I felt something under me. Pulling it to have a look, I sighed at the dark brown coat that laid tangled in my bedsheets. I know I should have returned it, but I couldn't bring myself too. Curling up, I pressed it to my nose. The scent had faded a bit, but I could still make out the smell of his cologne. I know it might be a bit strange, but when I covered myself with the coat at night, I felt like I could sleep safely. Nights without it had me tossing and turning until I would give in and go hunting for it. The sound of Apollo's whine would have me sitting up. The dog sat by my bed, a book in his mouth. "Is this for me?" I reached out and took the paperback. 'Fearless and Female: The Art Of Self Defense'. My brows flicked up. Maybe this wasn't a bad idea. It would certainly allow me to feel more comfortable around here. Leaning over and flicking on my end lamp, I settled in.

The book talked a lot about inner focus, encouraging meditation and centering yourself. A regular who saw what I was reading encouraged a class at the Woman's Crisis Center a few miles away. It was free, and one of the classes started after 9 on Thursday nights. The first class had a lot of talking. A few woman volunteered stories of their own attacks, muggings, and the instructor said the whole reason she'd started the class was her own rape some years prior. I walked away feeling confident that I had made a good decision in taking the course. That weekend, when the car picked me up to head to the Estate I felt a nervous fluttering in my stomach. Was Seto going to be joining us? Probably not, I know he was busy, but I couldn't help but get my hopes up. As the car pulled into the gates I felt my lips part in wonder. Jesus this house was huge. Thanking the driver, I stepped to the door, only to be greeted by a woman in black. "The young master is expecting you... this way please." I removed my shoes in the doorway with the others, and followed her through a set of twists and turns. This place really was a maze wasn't it? Finally, we stepped into a large room with a sectional couch and easily one of the largest TV's I'd seen in some time. "James!" I smiled at the teen sprawled out on the couch. "Did you bring it?" I shifted the bag I had thrown over my shoulder. "Duh. All the nerdy goodness." He flashed a bright grin and I smiled back before thanking the woman that had showed me the way. "I also made Dalek cookies with this new thing Jack sent me for my birthday, it had all sorts of Dr. Who cutters because he knows I'm all about that. Look!" I dug into my bag and pulled out an obviously new travel mug with a tardis on one side and an image of a bowtie on the other. "Bow ties are cool." I said with a grin. "I didn't know you had a birthday." Said the teen. "Well it's not for another month. My brother just sent it early because it's international shipping and he didn't want it to come late." "What date?" My brow lifted at the boy and he grinned once more. "The 23rd..." "M'kay." He just gave one of those sneaky smiles and I just rolled my eyes, pulling out the cookies I'd promised.

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	13. Chapter 13

**Went ahead and posted this chapter just in case I don't have time tomorrow, this chapter might be a bit long, but I wanted to show the end of the scene :). Love you guys, thanks for reading.**

 **Don't own yugioh and DW**

"Why are her teeth so big?" "We don't talk about Rose's teeth." I scolded, drawing a grin from the teen as the sound of a heavy door slamming had us both looking. "Seto's home." My brows flicked up, and a moment later in came the man himself, an aura of anger pouring off in waves. "Imbeciles. _All_ of them." Mokuba sat up from where he'd been propped on his stomach. "Bad day nii-san?" "Yes." Hissed the blue eyed man, throwing a stack of folders on the couch between the teen and I. "Those are _yours._ The ones you told me you would do and never did." The dark haired boy winced and moved to collect the stack. "I'm sorry Seto... I guess I just forgot..." "Don't give me an excuse, just get it done." "Hey..." I couldn't help but speak up. "Don't be an ass, he said he was sorry." That sharp stare turned and I nearly flinched at the intensity of it. "Stay out of it James, this doesn't concern you." "You're the one that came in here and interrupted our good time... it was an accident." I shifted off the couch to stand so that it didn't feel as though he was looming. "He's just a kid. Let him _be_ a kid. That paperwork will still be there in the morning." The brunet frowned and I sighed holding my hands out in a placating motion, waving to the barrage of bad snacks and DVD's. "Why don't you join us? Who knows, you might actually have a good time." His stare narrowed as he crossed his arms. "Some of us have work to do." "Then go do it! You're ruining _my_ good time." I snapped, my temper getting the better of me as I flopped back down to the couch. The tension was thick for a long moment before I heard the CEO stalk out, taking the unease with him. The teen let out a heavy sigh as he stacked the folders and flopped them on the coffee table. "I told you he was an ass." I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me. "He really is isn't he? That's okay. Even an asshole is warm on the inside." A bark of laughter came from the boy as he leaned back into his original position, ready to continue.

"Where's the kitchen? I need more tea." I said, waving my mug a bit. "Okay, down the hall, take a left, right, right, and another left and you'll see it." I raised a brow and he smirked. "Do you want me to write it down for you?" "No, I think I got it." I stood, and started a mantra as I headed down the hall. Left, right, right, another left. Left, right, right, another...left? Right. Left, right, wait. I paused as I reached an intersection. Was it left, right, or left, left, right? Uncertain, but still confident, I took a left, followed by another. Then a right, and another right? I groaned. I fucked up somewhere here. The doors to the rooms around me looked like nothing close to a kitchen. Dammit. Spotting a light shining through a cracked door, I stepped towards it. Maybe a servant? I'd take anyone at this point. I knocked softly and stepped through, looking around. "Hello?" It was clearly a bedroom, the walls a rich soft blue, with white trim and deep wood accents from a large four poster bed and desk in front of a wide set of windows, their thick curtains drawn. The sound of a shower running showed where the resident of the room had gotten too. About to move on, I noticed something on the desk, sitting beside a lamp where the light was filling the area. Stepping over, I saw a book. Curious, I picked it up. 'Dating after Trauma: A Guide To Sexual Assault Recovery.' I blinked. Who's room _was_ this? It was then I'd noticed that the shower had stopped. The door popped open and I looked up to see the occupant step out. A deep blush ran deep over my nose as I followed up towel clad hips to a well built stomach and chest before finally meeting shocked blue. "Fuck. This _would_ be your room." I turned away, and buried my nose in the cover of the book trying to hide my burning face. "Isn't this just interesting?" Asked the man, humor in his tone. "I'm so sorry! I got lost in your gigantic fucking house- I swear to god I was looking for the kitchen." "You liar." I heard him moving around and resisted the urge to peek. Good _lord_ he was pretty. Probably knew it too. "I swear! Just point me in the right direction, I'll get out of your hair, I know you're busy..." I heard him sigh and the sound of rustling clothes. "You're alright James, you're not the first to get lost in this place..." I heard his feet on the thick carpet as he stepped over, tugging on the book. "I'm not done with that yet." I relinquished my tight hold to look up. He was still shirtless, lord above, but he'd put on a pair of sleep pants, even if they _did_ hang low on his hips. Fuck _me._ He smirked. "Shit, did I say that out loud?" "Yes you did." He tapped my chin and walked around the desk, replacing the book and grabbing an empty mug in exchange. "Come on, I'll show you." A large hand wrapped with mine and tugged me forward.

The walls of the mansion were covered in art of all kinds, most were dark as we walked through the halls at a lazy pace, my eyes turning to the art so I _wouldn't_ stare at the sculpted man at my side. "I'm sorry I interrupted your good time James... I didn't realize..." I blinked as we arrived at the room I'd been so avidly looking for. Fortunately for me the kettle was hanging just above the stove. His fingers tugged to keep me at his side for a moment longer, those bright eyes coming to look my way. "I know I can be..." "An ass?" I smirked a bit. "To some..." He leaned my hand up and pressed a kiss to it. "To most." I corrected, drawing a rumble of amusement from him. "To most." He confirmed. "But not to you." "Why? Am I special?" I was fishing. I was _so_ fishing, and judging by his snort, he knew it. "Like you don't know." He took a step in, fingers still laced with mine. "Call me thick." I teased. "You're many things, but thick isn't one of them." "Watch out, that was almost a compliment." I replied with a tiny grin, drawing the barest curl of his lips as our noses brushed. I couldn't help it, the memory of his lips from our date would push me to meet them once more. They were just as I remembered them. If not better this time. Lips would part and tongues would just barely brush as I felt him twitch against my hip. Fear swept down for just the barest of a second before the sound of a pointed throat clearing would have us apart and looking over to see a smug looking Mokuba, a smirk on his face. "I was starting to get worried about you... but you're fine." "Well I was until you interrupted. Don't ruin this for me." I scolded, drawing a rumble from the man before me, his lips pressing to my cheek chastely. "I have a few things to finish up anyway..." He turned away and I gave a slightly dirty look to the grinning teen. "Behave yourselves." Said the tall man as he refilled his mug from a waiting pot, giving his brother's thick hair a ruffle as he walked by.

We watched well into the night, until the teen's yawns would finally bring a stop to it. "I think I'm calling it James." Said the boy around another wide yawn. "Alright... I'll leave my copies here, you can watch it when you have a chance..." I said as I moved to start collecting my few scattered belongings. "Just leave it, we can pick it up in the morning. Come on, I'll show you to a guest room." I blinked. "Oh... I hadn't really planned on staying..." "I don't want to drag the driver out of bed, it's not like we don't have the room." He gave a smile. "It's no trouble. Come on..." He stood and I reluctantly followed. I wasn't so sure about this, but unwilling to appear rude, I did as he asked. He led me down a few different halls until we ended up down a familiar hall that I'd found the blue eyed man's room. "My room's right there, and Seto's is there if you need anything." Said the teen, pointing out the different doors. "You can use that room." "Okay... thanks Mokuba." He gave a tired smile. "No problem. Night James." "Night..." He stepped inside his room and I moved in mine. It was simple. Tan walls with white carpet. There were two doors off to the right, quick exploration would find them to be a closet and bathroom. The bed was much bigger then my modest queen sized one at home, and much more comfortable. Thankful I'd opted for yoga pants for this outing, I stripped down to the simple tank top I had on under my button down. 'Its like a hotel. A super nice hotel.' I told myself. I tried sleeping... I _was_ tired, but I couldn't get relaxed enough to doze off. My paranoia would spike at every little sound from the large house, even though I knew such a big building was bound to have it's groans. That's why I liked the open concept of my loft, I could see down the stairs, so if someone was coming I knew it. Finally giving in, I flicked on the bedside lamp and dug into my bag. I always had a book on me, and today was no exception. Thankfully I'd stashed the self defense book in the sack as a last minute addition. Making myself comfortable on my stomach, with a pillow tucked under my chest, I restarted the book, ready to wait out the night.

It would be several hours later did a soft knock have my body tense as I looked up. I pushed my glasses up my nose to get a better view, relaxing as soon as I saw who it was. "Seto... What are you doing up?" I asked quietly. "I could ask you the same thing..." He replied, coming to take a seat at the end of the bed. "Reading. Lost track of time..." I said, leaning up to grab my phone on the nightstand and checking the time. 4:17 AM. Jesus. "You should be sleeping." He chided. "Pot, meet kettle." I replied with a smirk. "I've been working, I just finished. I _was_ going to bed." "Really? I wish I could work shirtless." I said, drawing a snort from the man. "Don't be cute. What's wrong James? Why are you still up?" I sighed and popped the book shut, setting my chin on the binding. "I can't sleep..." "Why?" "I don't know... strange house... _big_ strange house..." I shrugged a bit. "I'm alone... I'm used to Apollo being nearby... just in case." "You didn't have to stay if you weren't comfortable James." "I know... but I didn't want to make Mokuba wake up the driver and I... I kinda wanted to test myself?" My brows pinned in thought as I looked away from him. "I'm really trying to take steps out of my comfort zone... I just started taking self defense at the Women's Center down town, and we talked a lot the first day... They say that small victories are everything... Taking walks in the park, talk to friends you haven't in a while, pick up a new hobby..." I looked at the book in my hands and fiddled with it a bit. "They encourage you to do it with friends but... I don't really have any friends other then you guys, sad as it is..." I snorted a bit. "So I thought... maybe this would be for me... and it is! I mean I'm okay, I'm not upset or anything, just not okay enough to sleep... if that makes sense." "It does... Wait here..." He got up and stepped out, returning a few minutes later with a pair of mugs looped through his long fingers and a book in the other. "Move over." I scooted and sat up, hands coming out as he offered me one. "What's this?" I asked, hovering it under my nose and sniffing. "It's tea... my mother used to make it when I couldn't sleep." My brows lifted. He'd never mentioned his mother before. "It smells good... my dad would make us watch the farm report or the weather channel when we couldn't sleep." He smirked and I had to smile a bit. "Still works. I watch weather, I'm out. I need to find a US stream, every time I watch it here, I get too busy reading the subtitles."

"I didn't know you had tattoos." My brows lifted from my spot beside him. We'd came to a comfortable silence after we'd finished our tea, and had settled in just enjoying the other's company while we read our respective books. I looked back to see his eyes on my shoulder. "In all fairness, my tattoos are really geeky..." I muttered, leaning my arm so he could see better. "That one's a quill..." I sat up and lifted my other arm, showing a triangle with a circle inside and a line up the middle. "That's a Harry Potter one." He smirked and I had to grin. "I got this one before I left for New York..." I lifted the hem of my tanktop to show my hip bone, a Tardis resting just inside. "This one's my favorite though..." I lifted the shirt a bit more to show my ribs, a quote written in beautiful calligraphy, surrounded by swirling gear-like symbols. "In 900 years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important... The Doctor, 11th hour." I smiled fondly as I remembered it's image. "I got it after I was attacked in Central Park... I got it in my head I was just... another _victim_ another _statistic_..." "You're more then that." He said firmly. "I _am_ more then that... and I know it..." I lowered my shirt and sighed, taking my glasses off to rub my nose. "It's just _remembering_. I've done this before... It's just like a scar, tore open." I scowled. "It's just open, and I'll think it's starting to scab over and whoops, now it's bleeding again... just _stop_." "These things take time James... it doesn't heal overnight. If anything a scar takes longer..." I groaned and reached up, almost tearing my hair out of the bun I had it in. "It's so frustrating... I'm _scared_ and... I don't _want_ to be!" I dug my fingers into my scalp and scratched. "Like _this_. I'm _scared_ of this..." I grabbed my curls in my hands. "I'm scared someone's going to grab it... I'm scared without my glasses, things I can't _see._ Scared of a _name._ I feel like a child." "You have every right to feel that way." "I don't _want too_." "We can't control our fear... but... we can try to tame it..." He leaned forward and a long finger gently brushed my hair out of my face. "Were you afraid of that?" He asked softly. "No... but if there's one person that can get away with it, it's you..." "One is better then none." A deep yawn would finally make it's way passed my lips and I grabbed my glasses. "I think... I'm finally tired..." I said as I wiped the tears that had leaked from it. "I'll see if the driver is up yet..." He moved to get up and I gently tugged on his hand. "Just... stay? I wanna stay if I can and if I'm not alone...maybe I can..." "You sure that's what you want?" Another look of deep thought crossed my face. "I _want_ it a lot... and I think if I'm ever going too get to the point I can be intimate with anyone it's got to start here." I felt a blush creep over my nose and I ran a hand through my thick locks once more. "I mean- I don't... _You're_ the only one I'm even remotely comfortable around- Damn. This sounded _so_ different in my head..." A deep rumble left him and a finger pressed on my lips, drawing my silence. "Just do what you need too..." Leaning up to put my book on the nightstand with my glasses, I burrowed into the covers as he flicked off the light.

I don't know when I dozed off, normally I have to force myself through a countdown, but I knew I had to be dreaming. Memories of the night of my attack were fuzzy, and filled in from my night in Central Park and even with my date with Seto. I remember leaning in for our kiss happy, but when I pulled back it was Jensu. Disgust and revulsion filled me to my very core as the feeling of hands running over my body came to me. No! No no no no nono- "Shhhh..." My eyes snapped open and I felt a tight grip over my form. Panic raced through until I heard who it was. "Shhh, it's okay. You're okay." A deep sense of relief filled my stomach, and I sighed, slumping back to the bed. A smooth hand touched my face and looked up to that bright stare. "You were thrashing... I didn't mean to scare you." He said quietly. "It's okay... I do it at home too..." I murmured, taking another deep breath. He was on his side, in the same position he'd been when we'd settled in last night, on top of the covers. "Did you sleep?" I asked. "A little. I don't sleep much." "Aren't you cold? I know I hog the blankets, but all you gotta do is yank them back, I swear." "I'm okay." My hand slithered out from the thick covers and pressed my fingers to his hard stomach. "Jesus. You're freezing. It's no wonder, you don't have an ounce of fat on you." I gave a playful smirk. "You know in a snowstorm you'd probably die." He snorted and I saw his lips curl in a tiny smile. "I'll remember that." "Good! Until then..." I tugged at the blankets under his hip and he shifted to free them before crawling under. "Holy- You're _radiating_ cold. I had this bed nice and toasty." I complained. "You invited me." He said with a rumble. "I guess..." I pressed in closer and ignored his look of surprise as I nestled in under his arm. His skin was chilly to the touch, but warmed quickly with my own pressed so close. I felt... safe. I felt like I did when I went to bed wearing his jacket. Slowly, his arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I felt a soft kiss to the crown of my head. "Why are you so nice to me Seto?" I asked softly. "I don't know... because I like you, I suppose." "If I hadn't been attacked... would you still be nice to me?" He sighed and his thumb started a mindless sweep over my shoulder. "I don't know..." "Why not?" My brows pinned. "Because I'm an ass... as you remind me." I snorted. "I _do_ like you James... I liked you before, I still like you now." It almost sounded forced, like he was making himself answer my questions. I tilted my head up to see his eyes trained on the ceiling, a hard look of thought on his face. "Really?" His intense thoughts seemed to ease and he looked down. "What's with the 20 questions?" "I don't know... I guess I'm just making sure this isn't... a pity thing." I rested my head on his chest once more. "We went on one date... you aren't obligated to _be_ with me. Even if you saved me. We _can_ just be friends." "Is that what you want?" "That's not what the question is... Look, I'm... a fucking mess right now, and that doesn't need to be your problem. I don't know what kind of girlfriend I can really be right now." "So what do you _want_ James?" "I want to be happy." I braved a look up to him once more. "And... you make me happy... but you deserve to be happy too..." "I don't know how to be happy." "Please." I grunted. "I don't... I was content just running my company... Mokuba was the one that told me I should branch out... Then with everything that's happened..." "So it _is_ a pity thing..." I moved to sit up and felt his arm tug on my form. "No! Well, it was, I..." I pulled myself free and sat up, grabbing my glasses. "Come on James, that's not fair. I'm not any good at this." "It was a question. Do you _want_ to be with me, or do you want to stay friends." He didn't answer and I pressed a hand to his chest as I moved over his form to get off the bed. "Just... think about it. I should probably go." I grabbed my shirt and bag before ducking out of the guest room and back towards the living room.

 **Thanks!**


	14. Chapter 14

**I have to say this story's grown on me, but then again they all do a little bit, don't they? ;) Please let me know what you think, or if you see any formatting or grammatical errors. Thanks! BB**

 **I don't own yugioh or DW**

It would be a month. A month of questioning myself, and uncertainty if I'd made the right choice. I took my defense classes, and after some encouraging from my teacher, I went to a group meeting that would follow. It was only because of my group that I didn't go running back to the man and begging for an answer. I was right to ask that question, and they were very adamant that there was _nothing_ wrong with being alone a while either. I missed him though. The taste of his lips, the short, but happy span we'd spent pressed together that morning, but it wasn't my decision. Mokuba had came by a few times, complaining that Seto had brushed him off, and had buried himself in the new console. To take his mind off his absent sibling, I'd asked him to help me in the shop every week, tutoring me in the native tongue and helping me keep up on my trucks and cleaning. As much as I was healing, there was one thing I had yet to give up. His jacket had long lost his scent, but the warmth it gave me at night still gave me a sense of comfort. I missed him. The strength he radiated. I sighed into the book before me on the counter. Suddenly, the door flew open and in came Mokuba, a wide grin on his face. "Happy Birthday James!" He exclaimed, a balloon in one hand and a box tucked under his arm. I couldn't help but smile. "Well thanks kid. Here I was trying to fly under the radar." "Nope!" He stepped over and put the box over my book and tied the balloon to the register. "What's this?" I pulled on the ribbon and opened the box to show a beautiful cake, decorated with an open book with my name written in icing. "I had the cook make it special for you! It's carrot cake, so Apollo can have some too!" I had to laugh, looking down at the hound by my side. "Look at that! Here, have a taste." I dipped my finger in and offered it to the pooch, getting a happy wag of his tail in return. "I wasn't sure what to get you for a present, so I asked a few girls in my class what might be a good idea. So close up shop, we're going out." My brows lifted. "You're getting a spa day. My treat." He gave another wide grin. "What- Mokuba..." "I won't take no for an answer! The car will be here in ten minutes. I'll go tell the customers." Without another word he moved up to talk to the group huddled around the table upstairs. I looked down to Apollo with a smirk. "Well, looks like Momma's gettin' her hair did." He gave a yap of approval, his tail wagging once more.

Hair, nails, and a pedicure to be precise. The stylist fell in love with my curly locks the moment she laid eyes on it, and had done wonders cleaning up the dead ends, and had even thrown in some highlights. The acrylic nails felt odd at first, but as I used them, I grew used to the feeling. My feet had been massaged, scraped of any dead skin, and the nails painted. We were just wrapping up when Mokuba's phone rang. "Moshi- moshi?" There was a moment of silence as he listened. "Yea, she's with me..." He looked over and I gave a look of question. "O-Okay, we're on our way..." He hung up and I saw a look of confusion color his features. "That was Seto... he said we need to get back to the shop right away." "Why?" He shrugged, but looked to his phone. "I wonder what he wants... Let's go." The trip was only about twenty minutes, but the whole ride I found myself uncertain. What did he want? If it was a response to my question, why did he call Mokuba? I would be spurred out of my thoughts when we turned the corner and saw flashing lights outside of my shop, my heart skipping a beat as we pulled up to see the place surrounded by police. I was tugging on the door and trying to get out before the car had even stopped.

Seto was standing at the doorway, talking with a few of the officers. "What happened?" My stomach dropped as I saw the doorway behind them. It had been completely shattered, the door itself only barely hanging on. "Oh my god..." There was glass everywhere. "Ma'am is this your shop?" I looked at the officer wide eyed. "Yes..." "Someone broke in, we'll need you to go through and-" "Where's Apollo?" I looked passed him to the dark shop. "Where's Apollo? Where's my dog?" I shoved passed the officer and ripped off the hand he had around my wrist. "Apollo!" Glass crunched under my boots as I went inside. The register had been thrown off the counter, it's drawer pulled apart and empty. The cake Mokuba had gotten me strewn all over the floor, trampled and destroyed. Books covered the floor, but I didn't care about that now. "Apollo!" I went for the stairs and bypassed the destroyed kitchenette to go for the upper level. My room had been ransacked, the bed knocked askew and my shelves emptied for anything of value, but no dog. I heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs and looked back to see the CEO, a rare glimpse of concern on his face. "He's not here..." "We'll find him James." I felt my lip tremble as I looked back to the wrecked room. "He could be anywhere... if he chased them down, he could be hurt, all that glass downstairs-" "Shh..." Hushed the man, putting his arm around my shoulder and urging us to sit on the crooked bed. "Take a deep breath." I swallowed thickly but did as he asked. "I've got the officer's doing a sweep of the area... If he's there, they'll find them. I promise." "I should help." "You need to take this in James. You're not dealing." He replied firmly. I looked around and felt violated, all over again. Someone had rooted through my things and taken what few items I could actually call mine. A hiccup escaped my throat and I felt the tears start to build. It wasn't fair. "How am I supposed to feel safe here?" I whispered, eyes moving to the floor. "It's one step forward and two back... I don't know what to do..." I murmured, spotting a familiar brown lump crammed under the bed we sat on. Bending down, I picked it up and brought it to my lap, bringing my knees up so I could press my forehead to it. A large, soothing hand ran up and down my back. "This is a really shitty birthday." I muttered. "I will admit this... wouldn't be on my top ten list that's for sure..." He replied. I turned my head to look at him, but he looked away, almost pointedly avoiding eye contact. "James... when I got that call, the _first_ thing on my mind was you and when you didn't pick up I was-" He stopped himself and I saw something stirring in that normally icy stare. "Were you scared?" "I was... worried... for you." He said, after a moment of thought. "I'll admit I would check the cameras sometimes... just to be sure you were okay... That's _so_ wrong but..." He winced and ran a hand through his normally pristine hair. "I missed you too." I said quietly. Those bright eyes turned to me and I leaned up and showed the bundle in my lap, a watery laugh leaving my lips as I unfolded it. "This is your coat." A low chuckle left him and I felt him pull on my form, bringing me in for a sweet embrace.

The police would find Apollo a few blocks away, a trip to the vet would reveal broken ribs and a few chipped teeth from where he'd bitten the attackers. He would have to stay for a while to ensure he was on the right path for healing, but I felt much better by the time the night was over. A police guard would be stationed until the the door could be fixed, and in the meantime the Kaiba brothers had offered me a room at the Estate. I packed a bag with what I could find in the mess, mentally taking notes of anything I couldn't find. My laptop was missing, along with my phone dock and speaker, along with a few other gadgets but anything of value like my Passport and US documentation was kept a few blocks away in a bank safety deposit box, my profits were dropped off every other day into an account, so overall the thieves didn't get away with much. "What a mess." I grunted, shoving a demolished book with my boot. "At least you have your door back." Commented the CEO dryly. Plywood had been put over the broken windows and the damaged door had been righted back on it's hinges. "I guess... I'll see if theft was covered in the insurance. I'm sure it is... I'm still gonna have to reorganize everything. _Again_." "What if I had a solution for you?" My brows lifted as I looked over to the blue eyed man. He had his hands in the pockets of a long white coat, his legs wrapped in skin tight pants that left little to the imagination. When he'd came down for breakfast this morning, I almost sprayed my pancakes with coffee. "What were you thinking?" I asked, curious. "This place has become somewhat successful, what would you say to a partnership?" My brow rose. "We could use the building next door, expand the space, and you could carry the newest and best Kaiba Corp has to offer." "What like Barnes and Nobel?" He smirked. "Barnes and Nobel doesn't have a contract with _us_." My brow lifted. "So, what? You're just going to loan me thousands of dollars to expand _my_ shop." "Well I do owe you a birthday present" I snorted, bending to grab one of many upside down books. "That's a bit generous for my blood." "It's a good thing I'm not asking. Construction starts tomorrow." I looked back and gave him a dirty look, only to receive a smug one in return. "Come on..." He stepped over, draping his long arm over my shoulder. "Think about it. Game shop on one side, book store on the other, keep the cafe. You'll have aeolist's swarming here in _droves_." He stepped away and gave a critical eye to the shop, his confidence only growing.

"This is fun, why haven't I done this sooner?" He commented, drawing an eye roll from me. "How am I supposed to run all this by myself, smart guy?" He turned back towards me. "I was going to have Mokuba help you. He needs the experience, and you'll need the help." I crossed my arms, giving the man a firm look. "You're brother has more important things to do." "Like what? He'll be graduating by the time the shop is ready, College won't start for a few months, which gives you plenty of time to hire part time help." His brow rose and that smirk returned once more. "What? You don't want to do business with me?" "It's like a lion asking a house cat to share his steak." He chuckled, lips curling in a genuine smile as he approached, his hands leaving his pockets to tug on my belt loops. "But I _am_ sharing." I had to laugh. "Come on, let me do this for you." He urged, tone gentle as he closed the gap between us. I sighed, and looked up, meeting those bright eyes. "Alright." My lips were taken quickly, filling me with surprise. Pulling back just as suddenly, he flinched and pressed his forehead to mine affectionately. "Sorry." "It's alright." I was surprised by how honest my answer was. It _really_ was. If anything I was happy to see him so excited. "How about we try again?" Sweet lips would meet with mine once more, and _this_ time, I was ready.


	15. Chapter 15

**Another chapter, this one does have a lime in it for people who avoid such things. (odd, odd, people)**

 **I don't own yugioh or dw**

"Come to bed, loser." I grunted, sleep tugging on my tired lids "I'll just be a minute." Replied Seto, hands moving over his keyboard avidly. It had been incredibly easy to make my way into the blue eyed man's bed. I was still unsure about sleeping alone, and I think he enjoyed waking up with someone. I did too, but it had made my transition into the large house that much easier, knowing he was there to keep an eye out. We still hadn't laid together though. It's not like I didn't want too, I did. I _really_ did. More then once my mind had entertained the thought of what to do with the morning erection I'd woken up too pressed against my hip, but I was still unsure. I felt like a virgin again. I'd spoken with a councilor in the group, asking what the 'wait time' was after an assault, but she didn't have an answer for me. There wasn't one. It depended on the woman, and her partner, and the trust between them. "You said that an hour ago." I grumbled, giving a lazy stretch as I flopped onto my stomach. "And you could have been asleep already... imagine that." I made a juvenile raspberry noise with my tongue before snorting. "Fine. Then you won't mind if I take _all_ of these." I tugged the sheets and comforter loose from their neatly tucked position under the mattress. I'd quickly found out he liked a neat bed, making a point to tuck the blankets in every morning after we got up. I, on the other hand, was what's called a 'cocoon sleeper' burrowing into blankets until I was completely engulfed in them. "Don't-" He sighed as I nestled in, leaving a hole just big enough for my face to fit through. Giggling to myself, I hummed. "Night." "You're _not_ leaving the bed that way." He growled, those sharp eyes pointed my way as he stood from his desk. "Well what's it matter if you're not in it?" I replied with a grin, only to get an almost affectionate look of irritation as he reached for his button down shirt. "Fine... I'm coming." I snickered in victory as I kicked my feet, straightening the blanket once more. Parting the buttons on his dress shirt, I paused as he moved to remove it. A brow lifted as he caught my stare, a smirk on his lips as he moved to his belt. "See something you like?" "Yes." He snorted and threw the shirt at my face as he moved into his closet. "Letch." "Ha." I grinned as I pulled the shirt off my head, throwing it back as he stepped back out in his sleep pants. Giving a hard tug to straighten the blankets completely, he crawled in. "Gimme." He grunted, hand out. Smiling a bit at his new found slang, I pulled off my glasses and passed them over to him to set on the nightstand. Flicking off the light, he settled back and lifted his arm. Snuggling in, I sighed as he wrapped his arms around me. I did enjoy his touch, but it was touching _him_ I enjoyed the most. He usually let me, his breathing often evening out as I would try to count myself down to sleep, tracing the lines on his chest and stomach. It's how I found out he was _secretly_ ticklish by his ribs. Listening to his heart's steady beat, I started my trails. Down his chest, under his ribs, drawing a grunt from the man as he shifted. Moving back along his stomach, I followed the path between the firm abdominals. Left, down the center, right, up, over, and back down. When I reached his hip bone, I lightly dragged my nail along the hem of his pants. I felt a deep inhale, and a rumble in his chest. "You better watch it." He murmured, body still lax in an attempt to doze. "I'm watching it but that doesn't seem to be doing anything." I replied, a smirk growing on my face. While my vision wasn't perfect, I could see enough in the darkness to know what I was doing.

Running my finger up the other hip, I followed the lines to his belly button, following the simple trail that ran down. "What did I just tell you?" He grunted. "That I'm a horrible listener?" He just snorted in agreement, shifting once more, his arm leaving me to tuck under the pillow his head rested on. "Don't be a tease James. Go to sleep." I just continued my exploration, leaning my head up to whisper in his ear. "Tease would imply I have no intention of finishing what I'm starting." He sucked in a hard breath as my hand would cup him through the simple cotton pajamas he'd worn to bed. Immediately I felt the flesh start to harden under my fingers as I ran my palm over it. An almost silent groan left him as I messaged him through his pants. "You- You don't-" "Shhh." I placed a soft kiss to the rim of his ear, causing the erection to jump. Working him to full hardness, I wasn't disappointed. He felt impressive. I needed to see it, touch it. Pulling my hand away from the front of the sleepwear, I moved to the hem, my fingers sliding under it. Cupping the heavy sac below, I felt him squirm, a clear moan leaving his throat. I wanted more of those. Moving up, I wrapped a hand around the base of his length and ran it all the way to the tip, drawing a shaking breath from CEO as I repeated the motion. His head tossed, and his arms came down, one to clutch the sheets at his side, the other wrapping around me once more, his grip tight. "Fuck James..." He groaned, voice thick with desire. His eyes shut in bliss as my motions grew faster, using the steady dribble of precum rolling down the end. A hum left my lips as I kissed at his neck, listening to those soft, but delightful sounds coming from his lips. He was breathing harder now, his squirming losing out to sharp bucks of his hips as he strained for completion. His large hand came up and tossed the blankets away and shoved down the waistband of his pants, those bright eyes opened, hazy in lust as he watched. Long fingers wrapped around mine, and I sensed his need, allowing him to show me what he wanted. Low, hitching sounds of pleasure left him before he turned his head, lips attacking mine in a desperate kiss. The length in my hand pulsed, and I felt his hand tighten around mine, a deep, rumbling groan against my lips showing his climax as his body tensed. Finally, he pulled back, his breath warm against my face as he tried to catch his breath. Slumping back against his pillow, he gave a deep sigh of content, his hand releasing mine, now covered in the fruit of my labor. I couldn't help but give a smug grin to myself as I moved to get up, intent to get something to clean up the mess. "No no no..." He mumbled, a lazy finger catching the pocket of my Tardis pj's and tugging me back. "'Tay put." I chuckled a bit, but settled back into his side, his hand grabbing a wayward sheet corner and sluggishly cleaning up his mess. Tugging up his waistband, he sighed and shifted to give a tender kiss to my lips. "Not a tease." I murmured against his lips. "Not a tease." He confirmed, giving me one of those rare smiles as he pulled my form flush and wrapped me in a tight embrace.

I had to smirk as he strutted around the room the next morning, there was a definite spring to his step. "Aren't we chipper this morning." I said with a chuckle as I moved into the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for the day. "I am." He commented as he followed, straightening his dark blue dress shirt in the vast mirror before grabbing a brush out of the drawer and moving to comb his hair to perfection. "You're welcome." I replied as I pulled my hair out of the braid I'd put it in before bed, freeing the wide curls with a shake of my head. "Yes, I do owe you, don't I?" He commented, putting the brush away before coming up behind me, his hands moving to my hips. "Why don't I thank you properly?" He murmured into my ear. A sharp gasp would leave my lips as his form pressed flush, a kiss landing on my neck, but it wasn't from pleasure. Panic ran down my spine and my body locked tight in his hands. "Whoa, whoa, easy tiger." I forced out, my hands coming to wrap around his and lifting them from their place. "You don't have to." I said firmly before turning and trying for my best smile, feeling better now that I could see him completely. "I'm not that needy... just uh... tell me I'm pretty and we'll call it square." His brows pinned and a frown turned his lips. "I upset you." "It's not your fault. It's me, I'm still working on some stuff..." I looked up into those cerulean blues and gave a hesitant smile. "Just... be patient with me? I'll get there." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my temple before bringing a hand up to my chin and giving another to my lips. "Take your time." My smile turned genuine and I was happy to see one of his own in return. "And you look gorgeous." I giggled a bit as I turned back towards the mirror. "Duh." I saw his smirk as he stepped out, leaving me to finish my morning routine.

"My baby!" I cried at the dog, happy to see an excited wag to his tail. "How's he doing?" I asked the vet, running my hands over his soft face. "He'll be fine. We've gotten through the worst of the healing, and I think some rest and relaxation at home is just the thing he needs." I looked to the tall brunet at my side. "Is the shop safe enough to go back too?" He shook his head. "We're still working on the main structure, so he'll be coming coming home with us." My heart gave a tiny extra beat at the word 'home'. Was it home? I know it was _his_ home... "Now as far as the bill-" "Here." A gold card was shoved at the vet and I frowned. I didn't ask him to do that. "I could have done it..." I muttered. "Why?" My brows pinned as I shot him a dirty look. "What do you mean why? It's my dog-" "Guarding _my_ property, besides I've seen your finances." Those sharp eyes narrowed. "Where exactly where you going to pull the funds from?" "That's not something you need to worry about." I grunted. "And now it's something you don't have too either." He took the card back and signed a sheet. "Let's go." The vet helped Apollo down from the table and handed me his medication. "Once a day until they're gone, it'll help with the pain." I nodded before smiling down at my furry guardian. "You ready to go?" The animal gave a deep huff. "Good. Me too." We stepped out to the waiting car, and the dog jumped in without aid. "I missed you. I did. There's so much going on, you know? I missed my boy." I cooed before looking to Seto. "Can we stop by a store or something? There's no food or anything at your house." "I can send someone for food." "He's picky... don't worry about it, I'll just go after we drop you off at the office..." The last few weeks had driven me crazy. While I was excited about the renovations, I hadn't been a part of it. Seto had insisted it be a surprise, which was fine, I guess, but I was bored. Stuck wandering the large mansion until I finally just ended up in front of the TV. The insurance had paid out a good chunk of change, which covered anything I could want for expenses, but with Seto footing the bill for the renovations themselves, I had nothing to spend it on or do with it.

"What's wrong?" His tone had quieted, and the ice had melted out of it. "I'm bored... can't go to the shop, can't work, I just sit on your couch all day. I feel like a bum..." I ducked my stare to look at the dog before me. "You're not hurting anything, enjoy the break." "That's just it, I don't know what to do with myself... I go to my classes, to group. At least with Apollo I won't be alone all day..." I scratched the dog's chin, bringing a happy grin to his whiskered face. "What do you like to do?" "I like to read." I looked back hopelessly. "I like to read and be around people who like reading. I love my job. I just want to get back to it." He sighed and tugged on my sleeve to bring me closer, his arm coming out to wrap around my shoulders. "The work will be done in a few months. Just... relax. You've been through a lot." He tucked his face into my hair and I sighed. "You're going to try and sell to me that you can't find a single thing to do in that house?" He rumbled, humor in his tone. "I get lost a lot. Every time I leave a trail a maid cleans it up." I felt his chest shake as he laughed. "Maybe once Apollo gets his bearings he can help you." "He always has been a bit more directionally gifted then me." I replied, leaning into his embrace before he pressed another kiss to my head. "Go shopping, when you get home I'll have Mokuba show you the pool." "You just wanna see me in a bikini." I said, lifting my head to give him a suspicious stare. His face went blank and his brows lifted. "No one said I couldn't have ulterior motives." "And you call _me_ the letch." He smirked and I felt a fluttering warmth gather in my stomach.

A restock on food, treats, along with a new bed for the dog, and I was back at the estate. Instantly the dog was nosing around, wandering the halls before coming back to where I was stationed on the couch. "What?" I raised a brow, only to get a gentle tug on my hand. "What do you want?" He gave me a begging look and I sighed, getting to my feet. Following the lazy dog through the maze of halls and turns, I was surprised when he stopped before a set of large double doors. "Where have you taken us?" I asked curiously, pressing my thumb over the latched handle. A thick 'Click' ran through the heavy doors before I was able to swing them open. What I found on the other side took my breath away. It was a library. Apollo looked ecstatic, nose bent to the floor as he darted around the room. The shelves were dusty, and judging by the nature of the furniture nobody spent any time in here. Why? It was beautiful. A fireplace sat at one end, and a large desk at the other, the walls lined with thousands of books, floor to ceiling, with several wide windows in the center, spilling light inside a set of french doors leading out to a wide balcony. "Wow..." An antique couch and set of arm chairs sat by the fireplace. Good god, those need to _go_. The wheels in my brain started turning. I wonder if Seto would be terribly upset if I made myself at home? It was really a shame to see such a beautiful room going to waste.

"Seto?" "Hn?" His eyes were glued to the laptop while we sat at the dining room table waiting for dinner, Mokuba's homework spread out before the teen and I. "Well um... Apollo found a room earlier, I kinda like it but it's dirty and needs new furniture... would you mind if I cleaned it up?" I felt myself fidget in my chair a bit, nervous. "Huh? Yea, sure, whatever. Do whatever you want." He grunted, frown curling his lips as he turned to look at a sheet beside the laptop, eyes flicking back and forth for a moment before grumbling something that sounded like 'Imbeciles.' Looking to Mokuba, he gave me a secretive grin, a note scribbled on the corner of his homework. 'I love asking him for stuff when he's busy.' I shared a snicker with the teen as he erased the note. "Alright, 'A person who buys and sells books, especially rare ones.'" I smirked. "J-A-M-E-S." He frowned before looking back up with a squint. I giggled. "Bibliopole."

 **thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry, another lime for you. Wait, sorry? Not sorry, you're welcome. I was in a mood I guess lol.**

 **I don't own yugioh or DW**

I got rid of the hideous couch and chairs first, pulling in the help from one of the few English speaking maids. It would take a few days, but we would get the room cleaned out enough so that the carpets and the windows could be cleaned. She was also kind enough to give me supplies to clean the shelves and books. Looking online, I found a cozy black leather couch and chair set in a shop downtown. Calling in the order, they were more then happy to deliver for an extra fee, and even threw in an area rug when I told them I was renovating my shop in the hopes I would return for another order. I relocated a set of tables from a storage room, along with a few lamps that would be nice to light the desk and the new couches. The desk held lost paperwork and what looked like an old bottle of Scotch, but not much else. I bundled the paperwork and placed it in the very back of the desk just in case it might be missed, but tossed the rest, mostly old office supplies. The chair with the desk was old, and probably uncomfortable, but it was clear it belonged with it, so I kept it, placing the area rug below it to add a splash of color to the dull room. Polishing the desk and tables to a shine, I started on the expansive book cases that lined the walls. I went to bed tired, and sore, but it made me feel useful, like I had a job to do. Apollo kept me company during the day, snoozing on the lush couch or one of the chairs depending on his mood. "What have you been up too? I haven't heard you whine about being bored in a while..." Muttered Seto one night, his long fingers lazily running through my thick locks. "I've been cleaning out that room..." "What room?" "That room I found... you said I could." "I did?" I snorted and couldn't help but chuckle. "You did." "Oh... Okay. If it keeps you out of trouble I guess I shouldn't complain." "Who says I'm trouble?" I grunted. "You _are_ trouble." I paused and couldn't help but giggle. "There's a joke here about getting _in_ trouble, but I'll let it go." I felt his chest vibrate as he laughed a bit. "How mature of you."

"Have a good day." I pressed my lips to the brunet's as I ran my hand down to smooth his tie. He really was made for a suit, or the suit was made for him, I wasn't sure. He looked good though. The white one was a personal favorite of mine. "I'm coming home for lunch, there's a few things I want to go over with you about the shop." He replied as he moved to pick up his briefcase. "Okay... you know what time?" He shook his head. "Could be anywhere from Noon to Three." "Okay, well... I'll be here." I gave a simple shrug as he caught my hand and squeezed. "The renovations are almost done... You'll be able to go back soon." "Just as I was making a nice little nest for myself here." I said with a tiny smile. "You're welcome to stay, even after. You know that right?" His gentle tone drew my attention. "I think I've taken advantage of your hospitality enough..." I replied, tone uncertain. "Think on it." He pressed a kiss to my knuckles before turning and heading for the door. That _was_ something to think on wasn't it? Where had the time gone? I headed for the library. The weather was warm, and perfect for opening the doors to the balcony. I'd replaced the curtains on either side, but I usually kept them pulled back simply because I _loved_ natural light. The bookshelves had carried mostly business and financing books, but through avid sorting and organizing I'd found several mysteries and even a few fantasy, granted they were fairly dark, but they weren't business books. For the first time I was actually able to sit in my accomplishment and read, curled up on the balcony with my back against the railing and a book in my hand. I felt the sun move, but a tall tree covered a portion of the balcony, preventing it from getting too warm. I didn't hear the door, but I saw Apollo sit up, ears cocked. "That's probably Seto..." The sound of my cell would have me leaning to pull it out of my pocket.

"Hey, I thought it was you." _"Oh yea? Where are you?"_ "In the library, in all fairness, Apollo told me." I thought I was being cute, but his tone shifted. _"We don't have a library James."_ "Uh... yea, you do. Where do you think I've been hiding out?" I shifted forward and stood, looking to the dog. "Can you go get Seto?" The dog jumped down and jogged out the open door. "I sent Apollo after you." The line clicked, showing the end of the call. Looking to my phone I frowned, rude. Shutting my book, I brushed my bangs out of my face before turning and heading inside. I looked up as the dog came trotting back in, sitting by my side with a prideful smile as if to say 'I did the thing!' "Good boy." I cooed as I saw the brunet come to the doorway. "Hey." I gave him a smile, but he didn't seem inclined to return it. Cold eyes ran over the room, taking it in bit by bit as he slowly stepped inside, his face completely blank. Something wasn't right. Nervous fear gnawed at my stomach. Did he not like it? "Seto?" That sharp stare turned to me, and I held back the urge to flinch. Just how bad did I fuck up? "What have you done?" I swallowed the lump in my throat and brought my hands together to worry them a bit. "I just... well it was so dark and dirty... I thought with some sun and- um... you know, a bit of cleaning you um... might want to... use it..." Steadily my voice trailed off into almost a whisper, head dropping to break the stare with the brunet. "Did I... Did I screw up? I didn't throw anything away, if you still want it, it's in one of the storage rooms, I'll fix it, I swear-" I heard him sigh and stopped my nervous chatter as I felt thick arms move to embrace my form. This hug was odd though, it was tight, and almost like... he needed it. Pulling my arms free, I wrapped them around his waist. "Are you okay? What's wrong?" I asked quietly. He pulled back and I saw it immediately. Hurt. He wasn't okay and I didn't like it. Someone who normally held such a strong confidence was stripped of it, leaving a vulnerable and raw center. "This isn't a library." He replied, large hands coming up to rest on my shoulders. "What is it?" "It used to be Gozoboro's study." My lips curled into a frown. He didn't talk about his adoptive father much, just what he'd told me on our date. That alone said a lot though. "And what is it now?" His brows pinned and that spiraling gaze came up.

"A person can't own a room if they're dead... this isn't his house, it's yours." I met his stare, putting every last strength I had in mine. "This room isn't his... it's just a room and it can be whatever you want." I squeezed him a bit. "So what is it? Because I say it looks like a library." "I don't know James..." "Look." I took a step back to _actually_ get him to look around. "Really look. Is this the same room?" "Yes." "Is it?" I waved a hand at the new couches. "Those are new, I bought them. Those chairs were ugly." I pointed to the carpet before moving my arm in a sweep over the windows. "These were disgusting, like they'd never been cleaned before..." "He didn't like maids in here..." "They were sure in here helping me." His eyes came up as he listened to what I was saying. "That fireplace _actually_ works now. That balcony is _beautiful_ , go see." I stood before him. "Tell me, is this the same room, or not." He swallowed, and stood straight. "No." "No. It's not. You don't like his books? Guess what, I know a place you can get some." I gave a smirk. "Preloved and all. Perfect for a library." He looked around once more, this time his eyes were clear. "It's mine." He said softly. "All yours." I grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the desk. "Come on." I sensed a hesitation in his step, but I kept my grip firm. Shoving the chair back away from the desk with my foot, I released him to sit on top of the broad desk. "Sit." He stared at it, and I could tell there was a battle going on in that brilliant mind of his. "Seto." He broke the staring contest with the furniture to look at me. "It's just a chair... if you really don't like it we can get you another one." His movements stiff, he slowly sat down. I gave him a victorious smile as he moved the chair close. I could tell he was uncomfortable, so I looped my bare feet through the arm rests and tugged him closer still, leaning down to press my lips to his. He didn't respond right away, as though distracted, but I persisted. When his lips finally parted, I felt his confidence return. His large hands cupped my face and I felt him pull me closer. Slipping my legs into the chair with him, I seated myself in his lap, drawing a heated rumble from his chest as the kiss grew intense, and lusty. Heavy palms moved down, squeezing my hips and pulling them against his own in a heavy grind. I parted as I took a desperate breath in, his lips moving down my neck. The chair groaned as he leaned back, closing the last hint of space between us and pulling us flush.

My heart was racing, but it wasn't in panic. I knew who was before me, and I welcomed his touch, longed for it even. "We're gonna break this damn thing." I muttered, a tiny smile on my face. "It's mine, I'll do whatever I want to it." He growled, drawing my giggle. "That's the spirit." Those hands moved to my backside, pulling me in for another hard grind, his hips bucking up to meet mine. I could feel his excitement, and couldn't help but share it, a deep warmth radiating from my stomach. "Hold on." He mumbled into my neck, those thick arms holding me close as he moved to his feet. We didn't go far. My back pressed to the hard desk, those lips meeting mine in a desperate frenzy. My heat was starting to wane, my heart still racing but this time with a chill creeping up my spine. What's wrong with me? I could still see him, I _knew_ who I was with, why was I scared? I pulled my lips back and he looked up, brows pinning. "What's wrong?" "I don't know... let me up." He leaned back and I felt like I could really breathe. I took several deep breaths before sitting up and looking at him, lust was still clear in his eyes but his face was laced with concern. "Sit." I pushed him back to the chair and smirked. My fear was ebbing. It was a power play. Not a trust thing. If I wanted to beat my fear I needed to feel like I was in control. Standing, I bent to press a steaming kiss to the seated man. When I parted, I gave a sultry smirk to him. "How long's your lunch?"

"Jesus James." He groaned, hands wrapped tight around the arms to the old wooden chair while my head bobbed between his knees. I loved those noises. His sighs and deep groans of pleasure. He wasn't overly vocal by any means, but there was a certain pride to be had at making a man with normally so much composure lose it. I loved every minute of it. It had taken a bit of practice to remember my tricks, but once I had he'd been utterly grateful. His hips squirmed in an attempt to control them, and I _knew_ what those hands wanted. Leaning back for just a moment, I pulled on the chopsticks I had pinning my hair up. His head leaned forward and those lusty eyes cracked to look down at the image I painted before him. "Do it." I purred, tongue running up the length of his member before taking it into my mouth once more. A hard hiss escaped him as he sucked in a lungful of air between his grit teeth. He released it with a groan, a wide hand coming to rest on the back of my head. My hands moved to hold his hips as I increased my pace, knowing he was close. "Fuck. I'm not gonna last much longer." He rasped, his other hand burying in my thick locks. My dark eyes flicked up to meet his and that was it. A sharp gasp would pass his lips before his muscles locked tight, and I felt his flesh harden and pulse. I took what I could and swallowed, allowing his release to finish. When his fingers went lax, I sat back, wiping my chin of the mess I'd made. "You minx." He mumbled, head lolled back, spent.

"Who started that?" I taunted as I stood, knowing I had a cold cup of coffee stashed around the room somewhere. "You did." He replied with a chuckle, sitting forward once more and straightening his once pristine suit. "Oh yea..." I giggled, finding what I was after and taking a deep swill of what remained in the bottom, curling my nose at the temperature. "So when do I get to pay you back for your generosity over that last few weeks? Hmm?" That voice could melt an iceberg or freeze it, and he'd been melting my ice for months. I _wanted_ to let him touch my body the way I'd touched his, but there was something inside that wouldn't let me. One last hurtle. "I'm trying Seto, I told you." I felt his warmth before his touch, and I sank into his chest as a soft hand ran down my shoulder. "I know... I can't help it." Soft lips touched my ear as his voice lowered. "I imagine how you look sometimes... body covered in sweat, trembling on my bed." I felt a blush rush to my ears, bleeding to my cheeks. "The sounds you'd make when you cum, crying my name..." A deep rumble shook his chest. "How sweet you taste..." Fuck, was it hot in here? "Seto..." "Oh, just like that..." He mumbled, giving a nip to a soft patch of skin on my neck. Temptation coiled in my stomach, my reserve slowly melting. "Please Jamie." That had my body locked tight in his grip. "What? What did I do?" Gone was the liquid silk from his tone, and instead I sensed frustration. "I'm sorry." I whimpered, ducking my head in shame. He let out a deep sigh and tugged me to face him, all anger gone. " _I'm_ sorry... I'm not a patient person by nature..." I pressed my face into his chest and felt a squeeze from the arms around my shoulders. "I do want those things though... I want to see you enjoy it the way I do." He murmured into my hair. "I'll get there." "I know you will..." We stood there for a long moment before I peeked up.

"Seto?" "Hmm?" "Can... I ask you a favor?" "Sure... whatever you want." He murmured. "Can you... can you call me Jamie? From now on? I'm... I want to try something..." He pulled back a bit, looking to meet my ducked stare. "If you want... but I thought that was the problem, you don't like it." "I don't... but... I feel like it's important..." I focused my stare on his chest, knowing that deep gaze was waiting for me if I looked up. "Jack... calls me Jamie. My daddy called me Jamie... it's _me._ It's a me I haven't really... shown anyone. I'm always just.. the nerd or... some bookworm... but you..." I swallowed the lump in my throat. "You can call me Jamie...and Mokuba... he can too. I need to accept my name again... I won't let him have it. It's mine, and I want you to use it." I said firmly. "That's my girl." He murmured, squeezing my form to his tightly before pressing a kiss to the crown of my head. "Jamie." I let the comfort of his embrace sooth the fear that tickled the back of my mind. "Didn't you come home with an _actual_ reason?" I asked into his suit. He just grunted and tilted his wrist to look at his watch. "Considering I told Risa I'd be back an hour ago, looks like it's going to have to wait until tonight." I gave a smile and he pressed a kiss to my lips. "I'll be home for dinner."

 **Thank you!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Getting towards the end, but that's okay, don't worry, it's a good one. :) I love reviews, they make my day so much brighter to hear what you think. Don't forget to favorite and follow to see how it all ends! Thanks. BB**

 **I don't own yugioh or DW**

"Seto, I'm dropping out of high school. I know I only have a week left, but I think it's the right choice." I snickered at the teen at my left, shaking my head as he grinned. "Try it." "This is wrong. He's busy." "He's not eating." Admonished the boy. My brow lifted. The elder brother's plate was untouched, and probably getting close to cold by now, pushed aside while he scribbled a signature at the bottom of thick packets of contracts. "It's fun." Teased Mokuba. "I've decided to give up this life of luxury and go be a hooker." I threw in, bringing my hand up to rest my chin on as he mumbled something along the lines of 'That's nice dear.' "He's a robot..." I commented dryly. "He gets this way. Once I told him I knocked up a guy in class and we were going to the States to be together." I giggled. "You knocked a _guy_ up?" "That's how you get him. _Pew_ , curve ball... Seto I'm giving my shares of KC to Apollo. I feel like he would be a better VP." The dog picked his head up off the floor and cocked his floppy ears. "Congratulations." I said with a firm nod to the canine who sighed and laid back down.

"Seto I'm pregnant with twins and they're yours." "Good. Wait. What?" Bright blue eyes came up and squinted at me, drawing my grin. "You broke it..." Muttered Mokuba, turning back to his plate. "No, I fixed it. You need to eat." I said to the brunet. "I'll be done in-" "You wouldn't know a minute if you had it tattooed to your forehead. Eat your food." I scolded. "I'm almost done." "They'll still be there after you eat... Come on, Lord knows you barely sleep, you can at least eat the food your cook worked hard to make for us." He frowned and I just lifted a brow. "Don't be a spoiled rich boy." His frown melted into a smirk and I cut him off as I snorted, looking back to my plate. "I told you not to _act_ like one, not that you _weren't_ one. Eat your food."

"This one is an agreement to carry KC product and promotions, and ensuring any and all staff is trained on their use and operations." "Oh my _GOD_ are we done yet." I whimpered, eyes actually tired from squinting at the sheets he'd been shoving at me for the last hour and a half. "No." "I want to be done now." I whined. "You love reading." Replied the brunet, a smirk on his lips. "Don't be cute, this isn't reading." "And you wonder why I was always looking for something else to entertain me." He chuckled, shoving the contract back towards me. "Only a few more, then we're done, I promise." I sighed and scribbled my signature. "Just give them to me, I'll read them later." "No, no, no." He scolded. "You need to read them. _Especially_ with a larger business joining yours. If you don't they could take you for everything you've got and you end up-" "Up shit creek without a paddle?" I muttered. "Not the way I'd put it, but essentially." "But I'm joining with _you_. You wouldn't screw me." "I would actually, but not through your business." I snorted and caught that smirk once more as he pulled the next sheets toward us.

"What's this one?" I asked. "Any indiscretions you feel KC is responsible for, this basically says you'll take it to our legal department first before going to court." I picked up the pen but before I signed it, I caught a line on the sheet. "Wait..." My brows pinned. "Any and all lawsuits are to be settled outside of court in a standard prearranged settlement, including, but not limited too; liability, bankruptcy, faulty product and or shipment, damage or injuries from faulty product- I don't want to sign this one. It's saying if one of your machines burns down my shop I can't sue you for it." "That would be correct." "That's fucked up, if you sent me faulty machinery I should have the chance to sue you for damages... I won't, but that shop isn't mine, I'd have to pay off the damage to the structure to the landlord, along with any damage done to my _actual_ store. Even if you own the property, that doesn't matter, I'd still have to pay you. A standard settlement wouldn't cover that." "No it wouldn't." My brow rose as I flipped through the sheets following. "This whole thing wouldn't work. With you being my landlord _and_ my partner, we need a new agreement." "Yes we do." I looked over to see a prideful smile pointed my way. "We're learning." "Shut up." I threw the packet away carelessly as he pressed a gentle kiss to my temple.

"Seto, come on, please?" I begged. "I'm busy." He grunted. "No you're _not..._ Well you are, but no more then any other night." I walked up to his desk and propped my hands on the end and looked at him. "Mokuba and I are having another Doctor Who night before he gets swept up in graduation..." "Jamie..." His dirty look seemed almost powerless when he used my name, and I liked it that way. He'd been flicking back and forth out of habit, but as time passed it had started sticking, and the results with it. "You haven't had a night off in months anyway. Please?" I puffed out my lower lip. He gave me a long look before sighing. "Alright..." My brows flew up. "Really?" He sighed and shut the laptop, dropping some files on top for in the morning. "Yea. Let me get changed, I'll meet you down there." I let out an excited squeal and pressed my lips to his before taking off down the hall, excited to share with the teen in the living room.

"Guess what?" I dived over the side of the sectional and bounced on the soft cushions as I landed. "He told you no." "He told me yes." Mokuba looked over in shock. "Nu uh." "Yes huh! I told you he would." "But I didn't think he _actually_ would. He may not like watching from where we are." I looked to the screen and smirked. "Actually, I think he'll love Capaldi. It's his kind of doctor." "I don't care for him." Said the dark haired boy. "Why?" "I don't know, he's weird... and old." "Yea..." I lifted my feet to hang off the back of the couch, waving in thought. "I like him... I don't know... personally, I think he kind of reminds me of Seto." I studied the man on the screen, dropping my head to hang upside down, as if the new perspective would give me more answers. "He doesn't like feeling things, he's not a feeler. He's a thinker. So incredibly clever he'll miss the most obvious thing sitting under his nose... But he's got Clara... the one person that knows him as well as she knows himself..." I smiled a bit. "She reminds him to be human. To _feel_. To _care_... This is one of my favorite relationships between a Doctor and a Companion, and that's saying something..." I felt something pull on my toes and looked up, giving a smile to my blue eyed adonis, my eyes instantly falling to the shirt he wore. A 20-sided dice rested on the chest with the 1 lit up and the phrase 'Get wrecked' below it. "You nerd!" I giggled. "Shut up." He grunted, shoving my foot away. "I don't _own_ t-shirts." He muttered as he came around to sit beside where I was strewn. "Where'd you get that one then, huh?" I teased. "I gave it to him." Said Mokuba with a grin. "He just never wears it." "Why? I like it." I said to the brunet. "I can't exactly wear it to a board meeting." "Why not? You're the boss. You could show up in full cosplay and they couldn't do a thing about it." He rolled his eyes and shoved my feet. "You going to sit up? Or am I cuddling with your feet?" "Nah, I'll sit up."

"What do you think Seto?" I looked over to see a smirk on his lips while he watched the 12th Doctor sooth the fears of one Danny Pink. _"Where is he?"_ Clara answered. _"Doctor?" "I can't find him. Can you find him?" "Find who?" "Wally." "Wally?" "He's nowhere in this book."_ Said the Doctor, holding up the book in his lap, sparking a response from the boy beside them. _"_ _It's not a Where's Wally one."_ The Doctor gave a squinted look to the boy. _"Well how would you know? Maybe you just haven't found him yet." "He's not in every book."_ Said the boy, exasperated. A pout came over the older man's face. _"Really? Well that's a few years of my life I'll be needing back."_ "I like him." He rumbled, drawing my grin. "I knew you would..." A look of thought would cause the tall man to pause before leaning to pick up his phone off the table, his thumbs moving over the screen instantly. "What are you doing?" I asked with a sigh. "I have an idea. I just have to send a few..." He trailed off as the phone vibrated in his hands, drawing a victorious smile, though for what I wasn't sure. "Do I need to take it?" I scolded. "No, no, no. I'm done..." He put the phone back on the coffee table, eyes moving back to the large screen.

I'd seen this episode, but something was resonating within it's script. The episode was about fear. What happens when you fight it and when you accept it. I watched as Clara would lean over a boy, her words sinking deep as she soothed his dream. _"Listen...This is just a dream. But very clever people can hear dreams. So please just listen... I know you're afraid, but being afraid is all right. Because didn't anybody ever tell you? Fear is a superpower. Fear can make you faster, and cleverer, and stronger. And one day, you're gonna come back to this barn, and on that day, you're going to be very afraid indeed... But that's okay. Because if you're very wise and very strong, fear doesn't have to make you cruel or cowardly... Fear can make you kind..."_ I felt my eyes water, and my lip start to tremble. _"… It doesn't matter if there's nothing under the bed, or in the dark, so long as you know it's okay to be afraid of it."_ I sniffed and wiped my nose on my hand, lost in the words of the woman on screen. _"So listen. If you listen to nothing else, listen to this: you're always going to be afraid, even if you learn to hide it. Fear is like… a companion. A constant companion, always there. But that's okay. Because fear can bring us together. Fear can bring you home... I'm gonna leave you something just so you'll always remember. Fear makes companions of us all..."_ I studied the image of the unarmed soldier. "Jamie?" I looked over to see Mokuba with a look of concern. "I'm okay." I assured, wiping the tears from my eyes and smiling. "Just... thinking about a new tattoo... _God_ I love this show..." A strong arm would tug me back into the couch, a rumble leaving the brunet as he chuckled. "Just how many Doctor Who tattoos would that make?" "A fair few." I replied with a smile.

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	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you everyone who has taken time to review! I appreciate it.**

 **I don't own yugioh or DW**

 _"We're going to dinner."_ My brows lifted at the CEO's voice through my cell. "Um... generally people _ask_ for dates." _"Nope. Be ready by 7."_ "Um... okay, but where are we going? I need to know, I don't exactly have the wardrobe for 5-star." _"Just dress pretty for me. Whatever you like."_ "Whatever I like, huh?" _"Nudity in public is illegal, I advise you to hold some modesty."_ "You're no fun." I replied with a chuckle, mentally going over what wardrobe I had at the Estate. "Alright, I'll see what I can throw together. I'll see you tonight." _"Tonight."_ He hung up and I hummed, heading for his room to figure out what I'd be wearing. He was nice enough to give me a chunk of his _massive_ closet.

If there was a color he had a dress shirt in it, even though I'd _never_ seen him wear the pink one. I'd asked about it once, but he just grunted something about Breast Cancer month and told me to shut up. That's not even touching on the number of coats. What was his fascination with trench coats? I won't deny, he looks good in them, but he had a sizable collection of those too. I flicked through my corner. My jeans looked odd hung up, and my old band shirts looked out of place among the name brand designers he wore. The dress I'd worn on our last date had been thrown away, and with nothing even close to nice left, I decided a trip to town would probably be needed. I would be back by 5, ready by 6:30, and nervous by the time 7 rolled around. The outfit was flawless, the girl at the shop had been more then happy to help me pick something out, but it was different then my usual. Instead of a soft band shirt, it was a crisp white button up, with a pinstripe vest over it, the buttons open to show my neck and collarbone. A matching pair of slacks led down my long legs to a pair of black heels, nothing crazy tall, but just enough to make my butt look _great_. I mean it, I was on fire, and judging by the look on his face when I climbed in the back of the limo, it was worth it. "Just look at you." He purred, eye roving over my appearance from his spot in the seat across from me. I crossed one leg over the other and cocked my head with a smirk. "You told me to dress pretty." "I did. And you've gone above and beyond my expectations." My brow rose as he leaned forward in his seat, summoning me to do the same with a curl of his finger. Following the gesture, he caught my chin, and I received a simple kiss to my lips. "Just when I thought you couldn't get any prettier." I tried to hold down my blush, but I felt the heat move to my cheeks. "Aren't you smooth?" He smirked and gave my chin a squeeze before leaning back once more, arms crossing over his chest. "Where are we going?" I asked. "You'll see." I groaned and sat back, with little choice but to wait.

"Do you trust me?" "You know I do." I answered. He'd shifted to my side, that silky voice in my ear as I felt the car slow. "Close your eyes for me." My lips curled down, just slightly, but he caught it. "I know... but I'll be right by your side the whole time." I gave him a nervous glance. "You promise?" "I promise." I gave a shaky nod. "Okay." The limo pulled over, and he pressed a kiss to my shoulder. "Alright." Taking a deep breath, I shut my eyes, nervousness running up my spine. I heard the door open and a familiar hand took mine. A soothing croon talked me through exiting the car, and taking a few steps forward. There was the sound of keys before I felt his hand once more, his arm coming around my shoulders. "Straight ahead. There's a step here." My heels echoed on a wood floor, and the smell of paint and fresh wax filled my nose. "Are you ready?" I felt my brows pin as I nodded. Where had he brought me? "Open your eyes." The second I did, a flood of wonder and awe filled my very being. An all too familiar shop stood before me, bigger, and more beautiful then I could have ever imagined. The floors were bright, waxed and polished to a shine, and a soft glow came from what could only be new lights in the ceiling. I felt my mouth fall open in wonder as I stepped further in. The wall in front of the stairway had been opened to the building beside, showing slick tile where the wood stopped. I stepped over to it. The shops had matching stairways, with an archway at the top connecting them as one long balcony on the second floor.

The game side was filled with shiny glass and chrome, duel disks of all types on display. There was a counter for the register, with a tall cabinet behind it with a large KC logo on the front. Lining the walls were shelves like mine, but they were filled with games and books of their own. I easily spotted manga and what looked like walk through guides, before it shifted to show board games, cards, and dice, a large sign hanging on one of the shelves indicating the D & D section. In the center of the shop were large cabinets with 'Comics' written in bright letters on either side. I felt like my head was on a swivel. "This is..." I was almost at a loss for words. It was beautiful. A sound, soft at first had my attention instantly. I knew that sound. "That's a Tardis." I looked to the brunet, who smirked and stepped out of my way as I returned to my side of the large shop. Shelves had been placed over a fresh counter where my register had been. On them laid a menagerie of collectables, with more on the inside of a glass display case that was inlaid into the counter. Tardis' of all sizes and textures, figurines of different Doctors and their companions, with their opponents. Daleks, Cybermen, and the Silence, along with the Master and his many images. A TV had been mounted to the wall with the image of a spinning Tardis on it's screen. The wall beside the counter had been painted with what was clearly chalkboard paint, a message already written on it's face. 'Apollo's picks: ' With small shelves just big enough to hold books, an overstuffed dog bed below with a fresh rawhide ready and waiting for the dog. "Oh my God..." I whimpered, hand coming up to my mouth. It was amazing, and I hadn't even seen the upstairs yet. "You like it?" I whipped around to face the blue eyed man. "Like it? I love it! Seto it's beautiful!" A genuine smile would curl his lips, and his arm outstretched towards the stairs. "We're not done yet." I felt another wave of excitement as I moved to climb the stairs. The kitchenette had been taken out and replaced with counters. Each of my canisters now had it's own brewer, with a drawer below to store the bags in. Dispensers were scattered along, with napkins and paper cups and lids.

My table had been replaced with several smaller ones, holding two to four people for each one. A bathroom sat on either side of the archway between the bookstore and the game shop, marked for each gender. On the game side, there were more tables, but instead of a coffee counter it held a row of computers, for what looked like gaming or rental. "One more, come on." He urged, placing a hand between my shoulder blades and urging me towards the stairway for the loft. I went up and stopped at the top. A sliding wooden door had been put in at the top with the words 'Employees only' written on the front. "Here." He offered a key to me and I pressed it into the handle, a thick 'click' coming from the door as the key turned. Sliding the door back, we finished our climb to the loft. My bedroom had been repaired, and repainted, with a desk to one side holding a sleek new laptop, a Kaiba Corp logo floating around it's screen, a TV mounted just opposite the bed. A new hallway would draw my attention. Moving through it, I found where my fridge and range had been moved too. The loft for the next building had been converted into a modern, full sized kitchen with plenty of counter space and cabinets. Another doorway showed the stairway down to the game side of the shop, with another heavy door in front. My table had been brought up and placed in the new kitchen, with a bottle of wine and take out containers sitting in wait. I couldn't stop my grin as I turned to face the brunet. "You told me to dress pretty for take out?" He rumbled and large hands swept over my hips as he closed the gap between us. "I wasn't in the mood for 5-star, besides..." He smirked down at me. "Who says you can't look pretty eating take out?" "Fair enough." I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his soundly. "I love it." "Do you?" The fact that he was even asking showed he was a bit nervous about his designs and choices, even if he didn't outwardly show any indication. "I do..." I pecked his lips as my stomach gave a loud growl. "I'm also _absolutely_ starving." A rumble left the blue eyed man as we parted, ready for the food waiting for us.

"I'll show you how to use the register, and there's a safe hidden up here in your closet to lock your drawer up at night." He'd been explaining a few of the finer details that I'd missed in my initial search of the new shop. "There _is_ a door for that hall. I wasn't sure if you would want to use this as a break room for your employees... I also had them take an inventory, so once you get up and running you can think about a loyalty program, have some of your customers bring in books they have, or return ones they've finished for credit." I sipped my wine and nodded. "That's a really good idea..." His brow rose. "What's wrong?" "Nothing!" I shook my head and smiled, looking to my glass. "I just... I can't believe it all... You've done... I just-" I took a breath and let it out with a tiny laugh. "When I moved here, I never dreamed something like this would happen... I just wanted to run this dinky little shop and... just start over. You know all that cussing I've done about Karma, and how... hurt... I was, she _has_ been kind." "It's just money James..." He replied. "It's not just money... She gave me _you_." I gave a shy look his way. "That means so much more to me then money..." "You-" "Oh god let me finish." I whimpered, my eyes ducking to my lap as I bit my lip, feeling a deep urge to spew the words pooling in my brain. "I... I just..." I was scared. But this wasn't the fear I held during my attack, or the anxiety of watching my business go under, this was the fear you had when the roller coaster was at the top of the hill, waiting to fall. "I think... I love you." I let out a hard breath I didn't know I was holding and covered my mouth. "Oh god, I said that... I said that _out loud_ and- You don't have too- I think I need a minute..." I stood and moved to escape down the hall when my wrist was caught.

"No no no no, you come back here." My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest it was pounding so hard. I stared hard at the floor, unable to force myself to meet that cerulean gaze. "You can't just say something like that and bolt." He teased, tugging me back until I hit his knees, his hold shifting to tug me into his lap. "I can if you'd let me go..." I muttered, feeling my face burning as I pointedly looked away. "You didn't even let me answer." "I can't really think of a good way this works out..." "There's the obvious one." He replied, humor lacing his tone. "It's never that easy, don't you read? Never works out that way." "It's as easy as you make it dear." He chuckled, ducking his head to try and catch my stare. "Will you look at me?" "No." I muttered. "Oh, come on." He tugged on my chin. "You're going to make me say it, aren't you?" "Say what?" "I love you too, you ignoramus." That had my stare turned to see his smirk. "That got you." "What..." Another pull on my chin would have our lips pressed together, a twinge of a spark darting between us as we tasted one another. Pressing my hands into his hair, I poured my love into the exchange. When we parted for air, I rested my head against his. "Are you sure you..." "Jamie..." His tone was hinted with admonishment. "Watching you... Seeing the battles you've faced, the fears you've overcome... It's my turn to face one..." His hands came up and cupped my face and pulled me back just enough to finally meet that bright blue stare. "I love you." I brought my hand over his and smiled, joy filling my heart. When our lips met this time, there was no question of the heat behind it.

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	19. Chapter 19

**Here it is, the ending you all have been waiting for. And the lemon you all have been waiting for too ;) I hope you enjoy guys, and please let me know how you liked the story.**

 **I don't own yugioh or DW**

Hands roamed as we clumsily tugged at each other's clothing, stumbling down the hall back towards the bedroom. His expensive jacket tossed carelessly to the floor, along with his tie, my vest quick to follow. I gave an impatient tug on the tails of his dress shirt, a grunt of displeasure leaving me as one of the buttons caught on his belt. A rumble shook my lips before he pulled back, lips moving to my neck. "What's the rush?" "Call me crazy, but I like the sight of you naked." I replied, leaning my head back to give him plenty of room,. "That's funny, because here I was looking forward to seeing _you_ naked." I giggled as his large hands worked the buttons on my shirt. Tossing my glasses towards the end table, the second the garment was open I tugged it off, a quiet groan leaving the man as he spotted what laid beneath in it's entirety. In addition to the quote I'd shown him, a new one had appeared on it's other side, the ink still dark and fresh. A scrolling cursive curled under the image of the unarmed soldier. 'Fear can bring us together. Fear can bring you home. Fear makes companions of us all. Clara Oswald, Companion.' He dropped to his knees and I felt my breath leave me as soft lips trailed down my stomach, hands exploring over the exposed flesh. His touch lit a fire under my skin. I felt no fear. I felt no worry. Only him. Only his touch. I couldn't stop the gasp that left me as his hands found the sensitive skin just below the small of my back, goosebumps erupting all over my skin. His tongue flicked around my belly button, drawing my hands down to bury in his hair and roam over his shoulders.

He gave me a gentle push, and I felt the bed behind me. My knees bent and I suddenly found myself face to face with him once more. My hands didn't waste any time, working the buttons on his shirt as our lips met for another deep kiss. The second I could touch his skin, I ran my hands over it, dragging my nails lightly over it's surface, knowing full well it drove him crazy. I was rewarded with a breathy moan into our kiss, his body curling to shift onto the bed with mine. He didn't hover though, instead he placed himself alongside. When he pulled back, he bent to nip at the shell of my ear, drawing a shiver of pleasure from me. "If we need to stop..." "No. No, don't stop." I gasped, feeling a ghost of a touch over the silk cover I hiding my bosom from his view. It wouldn't last long, a sharp moan leaving my lips as he wrapped his lips around a pert nipple, the other rolling over his fingertips. "Jesus Seto..." I murmured, back arching into that delightful touch, wanting more. Slow, cautious hands pulled at the button for my slacks. A breathless curse left him as he leaned up once more, resting his head beside mine. "You sound so good... I want more. Please." His hand brushed my heated core over the matching panties, drawing another small whimper from my lips.

Squirming out of the heels and slacks, I felt him move and pull off his shirt. I reached for his belt, but I heard that silky voice once more. "Tonight's not about me. This is your night..." A trail of kisses started at the ear he was teasing, and worked down, lavishing not just one but both of the sensitive peaks on my chest before continuing. "You're so gorgeous... I can't help it... I just want to taste you... all of you." A shaking sigh left me as he gently nipped my hip bone, long fingers tugging on the one piece of cover I had. For just the barest second, there was a hint of insecurity, but before it could escalate to anything close to fear, his lips were back on me. Down my thigh, lifting the leg to run his lips all the way down to my ankle before working back up. A sharp nip would draw a gasp from me before he soothed the tender area with a soft kiss. I felt his breath on my core, and couldn't help but let my eyes fall shut, feeling everything. His roaming hands, his breath, his heat. The second he would bring his mouth to my pulsing center, I felt a moan pour from my lips. Quick exploration would find what he was after, the hard button above my entrance. Almost mercilessly, he teased and flicked the bud, working the coil within my body into a tighter and tighter knot. I panted my pleasure to his ears, feeling a digit slowly circle and press in. My mind was blank, focus solely on getting to the release I felt approaching. My hands bunched in the once pristine bedsheets, back arching as a chill started in my toes. I tossed my head, praising his name and begging for more. I felt another finger sink in and curl before I saw white. Climax hit me like a tidal wave. I screamed his name, body curling and my insides squeezing in a hard staccato as my blood rushed. He waited, those bright eyes clouded in lust as he watched me toss in pleasure. As the ringing dimmed in my ears, I gasped for breath, body still hot, still needy. I gave a hard shiver and sat up, pulling his lips to mine, pulling his form back up to join me. "Fuck that was hot." He murmured against my lips. "You need to be naked." I replied, hands joining his to tug at what clothing he still had. When at last flesh met flesh, I couldn't stop my moan. He felt so good. I still wanted more. I _had_ to have more. I pressed him flat to the bed and swung a leg over. I took in his image.

Need swirled in his gaze, in his greedy hands as they squeezed my backside, and most prominently in the length that pressed against my heat. I shifted my hips and slowly took him inside. A cropped breath left him, his head falling with a low, gasping moan. I couldn't help but match it. He filled every nook and cranny I had, I was so full I almost felt like I was choking. I sat, fully seated for a long moment before a strained groan left him. "Please move." It started as a slow rock to my hips, working my body open to his, my eyes locked on that form below. Those delightful sounds were back, the soft groans and whimpers of pleasure he probably didn't even know he was doing. The ones that drove me wild, the ones I longed for. Rocking increased to a soft bounce, those hands grabbing my hips as he moved with me. Pressing my hands to his chest moved him to just the right spot, bringing stars to my eyes and a cry from my throat. I tried again and again to find it, and each time I was successful, pushing me further towards another climax. I cursed, throwing my head back as I shamelessly increased my pace, riding him harder and faster as I strove for it. "Yes, just like that- Fuck!" He hissed, hips bucking to thrust deeper, eyes locked on our joining, watching himself vanish within my warmth. "I'm gonna cum." I whimpered. "Me too." He replied, suddenly sitting up to wrap his arms around me tight, face buried in my chest as our movements grew frantic. I found my climax as I watched his, his body locking tight as he held my body as close as it would go, his length pulsing deep within as he groaned, my own orgasm stretching his with tight clamps of the muscles surrounding him. Finally, I felt him take a shuddering breath and loosen his grip.

"Oh _come_ on!" My head snapped up instantly, only to receive a soothing rub over my bare back from the man whose chest I rested on. We'd haphazardly dragged the covers over ourselves after our avid lovemaking the night before. The sun was now shining through the small window of the loft, showing our trail of clothing and a _very_ displeased Mokuba in the stairway. I let out a lazy giggle before nestling back into the warmth of my lover's embrace. "What? _I_ thought he earned it." I felt Seto's chest rumble in amusement. "You could have shut the hall door..." Grumbled the teen. "We got a li'l distracted last night." I replied with a smirk, looking at the shape of the boy in the doorway. "You see, he did this _thing_ -" "Gross! I'll meet you downstairs." The younger Kaiba turned on his heel and headed back down the stairs, pointedly shutting the door behind him. I couldn't help but giggle, feeling a squeeze from my bed partner as I shifted to look up. "Morning." "Morning." He replied, giving me one of those handsome smiles. "Sleep well?" "Remarkably." I answered giving a smile of my own before shifting to sit up, my body giving a few extra pops as I bent to retrieve my lost glasses. They'd missed the table completely, but were undamaged on the floor nearby. Putting them on my nose, I couldn't help but laugh a bit. "My, my, we _did_ make a mess didn't we?" Clothes were everywhere. "I regret nothing... where you off too?" He teased, shifting to shove his hands under his pillow. "Well, seeing as we _have_ traumatized your brother, I feel like we could at least go see what he wants." I stretched as I stood, curling my nose as I felt the tug of the previous night's activities on my skin. "But after a shower..." I looked over with a smirk. "Which you're more then welcome to join me for..." That had a brow raised in interest. "If you're quick, because there's only about a half hour of hot water." I flashed a grin before darting for the bathroom.

The grand re-opening would be a roaring success. A new sign hung between the door of the game shop and the book store, holding the old name with a KC logo in the background. Advertisements were airing for weeks, fliers had been passed around, and Mokuba and I had even gathered some window paint to draw people in off the streets. Duelists came for the games, but found themselves curious about the cafe upstairs. My regulars came to support my shop, but wanted to see what the other side of the store had to offer. The profits from the day alone was more then I used to get in a month. And that was just for the book store. When at last the crowd faded and the younger brother and I counted our tills, I felt myself blown away. This was what success felt like. This is what a business was supposed to do, and when my lover came to check on us, he was greeted with a sound kiss to his lips from me and a balanced ledger from his brother showing our profit. As we sat around my table, take out in front of us with Apollo down at my feet snoozing, I smiled into my container. "What's with the grin?" Asked Mokuba, breaking from the business jargon he'd been throwing back and forth with his brother. "Nothing..." I chuckled a bit, picking at my chicken with a plastic fork. "Just a feeling I had." "Spill." Grunted the blue eyed man. "It's really cheesy." I replied. "So? You're like... the biggest dork I know, so cheesy ain't got nothin' on you." Said Mokuba, drawing another laugh from me. "Alright... You know that feeling you get when you finish a good book? When the ending's just right, and the protagonist is finally getting the happy ending you'd been hoping for them the whole time?" I picked at my container a bit. "I have that feeling... right now... I mean every book can have a sequel, but _right_ _now_... I'm happy." I gave a tiny smile to the pair and the younger brother snorted. "That was cheesy." "Shut up or I'm taking your fortune cookie." I grunted, throwing a napkin his way. Feeling a large hand come to rest on my thigh and squeeze, I looked to the CEO at my side. I got one of those rare smiles before reaching down and squeezing his palm with mine. Definitely a happy ending.

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